


Broken In The Worst Way

by SynriLynn



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Lemon, Lime, Mental Instability, Physical Abuse, Romance, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2018-07-16 11:02:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 26
Words: 173,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7265431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SynriLynn/pseuds/SynriLynn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scarred by witnessing the death of her future self, Lucy attempts to take a solo mission to pay her rent a few month in advance so she could afford to put the pieces of her life back together without worry. But, what will happen when she ends up in a life-threatening situation, and the one who saves her is also the person starring in her violent nightmares? (Violence, Rape, Lemons)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

I would like to announce that this is now a fully completed story and will be updated with a new chapters once a week.

**WARNING: Rated MA for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this** fan created **fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

 

**Chapter One**

* * *

 

The skies of Earthland were set ablaze as varieties of brilliant oranges and reds merged together to paint a vivid sunset over the muggy and heated land. Even though the sun's fiery rays of light had started to diminish, the remnants of its relentless heat licked at the enervated woman's battered back as she strained to move forward with what little strength she could conjure. The sun's earlier rays had all but scorched the bare skin that was left exposed by the tattered and blood-soaked remains of the blonde's small mid-drift tank top and all too short mini skirt.

The young woman inhaled a shaky breath as she trudged her way down the miniscule overgrown pathway. With every step she took she could feel the pinpricks of pain as the dirt and gravel ate at the bottoms of her bare soles, her body protesting with every single small step that she took. She used the pain to keep her fragmented mind occupied from the other various places on her body that were currently burning with excruciating pain.

Crimson droplets formed, and then slowly dripped to the ground as the mage held on to the right side of her abdomen. Even though she knew it was a fruitless attempt to cease the trickling flow of blood that oozed passed her slender fingers, she suppressed a sharp inhale of breath as she pressed slightly harder on the open wound. Blinding white spots assaulted the stellar mage's vision as the added pressure to her side caused her to falter in her steps from discomfort.

Her other arm hung loosely at her side while her shoulder drooped lower than the other. She clung to consciousness as her vision gradually faded in and out. The young woman let her body languidly fall against a nearby tree at the edge of the path, unable to walk any further. The blonde struggled while she dug her blood crusted fingers into the thick bark, using it as a support to slowly lower her body to the ground. Carefully she tried to position herself so as not to irritate her already throbbing side and hurt shoulder.

The celestial maiden carefully adjusted her body so she was lying on the ground before placing the hand of her uninjured arm back onto her gored abdomen. The blonde let out a sharp gasp, then relaxed with a sigh as her body made contact with the cool earth, which was a painful relief to her abused back.

The young woman felt her body relax while the slow trickle of crimson liquid seeped from her body to pool under her right side. The blonde patiently waited for the sky's brilliant display of reds and oranges to slowly be swallowed by the inky darkness of the night as the sun's final rays slipped below the horizon.

Though most people would dread the eerie darkness of the night, the celestial mage welcomed it wholeheartedly. She watched as the last of the sun's light vanished and gave way to gleaming stars that dotted the sky, making their presence known throughout the now pitch night. To the stellar mage, the night sky was even more endearing and beautiful than the setting sun, as she could now see her beloved constellations shining brightly. They shone with intensity- as if their heavenly light was a message for her and her alone.

The celestial mage let a faint smile slip across her now pale pink lips when she felt her keys warm up in her pouch, confirming that her spirits were in fact watching over her in this very moment. The blonde woman knew without a doubt that she would always be able to count on the love of her spirits- after all, they were some of her most trusted friends. They had been with her through all of her ups and downs in life and she couldn't be more grateful to them for standing by her side when she needed them most. She could only hope they knew she would do the same for any of them, as well.

At that thought, Lucy's mind slowly drifted from her faithful spirits to all her other friends she would be leaving behind as well. The blonde knew she had many people that were ready to help her if ever she told them something was wrong, but she just couldn't bring herself to push her burdens onto her friends and guild members. She refused to make them watch as she suffered from her scarred memories, and she would much rather suffer alone rather than drag anyone down into her spiraling chaotic mind.

The dying fairy didn't want to admit it, but ever since she had witnessed her future counterpart die during the eclipse incident, she had been haunted by the very memory. It disturbed her to the point of having repetitive nightmares of watching herself die, over and over again. The worst part of the nightmare was looking at the sadistic face of her murderer and seeing the cruel, satisfied smirk form on his face as her future self fell lifeless to the ground while the light faded from her eyes.

She recalled the memory of his crazed crimson orbs as they would narrow while they scanned the room, then inevitably would stop to scrutinize her, not the lifeless corpse on the ground. The petrified fairy could never pull her watery brown eyes from his terrifyingly hateful gaze.

His eyes, the same color as the blood pooling around future Lucy's lifeless form, sent wave upon wave of dread through her entire body.

The look he would give her made her spine freeze and her legs lock in place. His penetrating snakelike orbs would silently emit a threatening dare to her. Lucy could feel it within her bone that the male wanted her to try and stop him; he was daring her to stop the inevitable from happening.

No matter how many time she would have the dream- and she had them a lot- Lucy could never find the courage to move. She would always stay frozen in fear, staring into those piercing ruby eyes for what felt like centuries.

Then as fast as he would appear, he was gone. He would melt into the shadows while letting a maniacal bout of laughter ring through the destroyed room that she had become imprisoned in her own mind until she woke by the help of either Loke or Virgo.

The nightmares would always leave her with a bitter self-loathing and a need to prove that she was not a useless girl, and she could handle her own demons.

She did not want her nakama to know of the horrors she faced every night.

Unfortunately, that same desperate need to prove herself had simultaneously resulted in her dying in her own blood, and she could blame no one but herself.

The blonde swore she could hear the mocking laughter from the monster in her nightmares ringing in her head as he celebrated her impending demise.

The stellar mage let out a grief-stricken sob as the reality of the day crashed down on her in full force. She moved her crimson soaked arm to cover her eyes. She didn't even care if she bled out anymore, she would welcome death if that is what fate held for her.

Lucy wept openly into the forlorn darkness of night. She had been so close to proving to herself that she was not the weak little girl that she believed herself to be, if only she could have done things differently.

* * *

 

Lucy waved back to the mayor as she began her long walk to the train station just on the outskirts of the town of Achidea. She had just successfully completed her second solo mission and was eager to return back home to Magnolia to see her guild mates. Plus she had a sneaking suspicion that by now Natsu was bouncing off the walls ready for her to return. The blonde also had a hunch that as soon as she would walk through the guild's doors the dragon slayer would drag her right back out to go on another mission.

Lucy sighed while she rubbed the back of her neck, the stellar mage still had no idea how to tell the pyro she has no intentions of leaving her apartment for a while once she makes it back to Magnolia. After completing this current mission she had a plan to relax and take it easy for a while, as well as hopefully try to seek the professional help she needed for the sake of her mental health.

After all, the only reason she took these small solo missions in the first place was so she could save up enough jewel so she wouldn't have to worry about rent for at least two months while she tried to straighten out her messed up mind.

Because of the destructive nature of Lucy's team- Team Natsu, they have been known to cause more damages than necessary when completing a mission, whether it's on purpose or by accident. Of course, the destruction almost always results in the whole team either losing the reward money completely or even owing the town where the mission had took place.

No one could really blame the celestial maiden for wanting to go on a few missions by herself.

So, much to a very boisterous dragon's chagrin- but Master Makarov and Erza's approval, the blonde took two small easy missions by herself in a town neighboring Crocus in hopes of keeping the reward money for herself without having to worry about paying for property damages. The reward for completing the two missions would be well enough to keep her landlady happy as well as food in her stomach for a little over two months if she played her cards right.

The lovely sound of birds chirping filled the air as they flew through the sky over Lucy. The celestial maiden smiled while stretching her arms above her head in an attempt to realign her back. The bed at the inn she had been staying at had made her poor spine feel like it had been forced to lie on a bed of cotton covered rocks to say the least. Despite waking up on mattress that was less than comfortable, Lucy just knew today was going to be such a beautiful and wonderful day, because today would mark the first day of her trying to get her life back on track.

The sun was slowly rising, creating a beautiful golden glow down the small path the blonde had decided to take instead of the main road in hopes of cutting her travel time in half. Lucy figured if she could at least make the last train of the day, she would be back in Magnolia by the following morning. The celestial mage hummed softly to herself as she let the sun's warmth soak into her skin as she followed the path.

After the Eclipse incident, Lucy started to take notice of her behavior as it gradually morphed into something less than normal for her usually charismatic and cheerful self. Though she constantly tried to wear the mask of her former self while at the guild, she could feel her facade steadily slipping away bit by bit. Things that she enjoyed gradually became less interesting the more time past her by.

Every night after the incident, Lucy's dreams started to get worse. By the time two weeks had passed, her nightmares had succeeded in taking hold of her unconscious mind and seemingly made a permanent home. The fear of facing those unpleasant memories and images coming to her while she slept was more than the blonde could handle. Causing the terrified stellar mage to often forgo sleep altogether in favor of just sitting alone in her artificially lit room until dawn would start to break over the horizon outside of her apartment window.

Being sleep deprived, the blonde Fairy Tail mage started opting to stay home to take small inconsistent naps instead of going to the guild like she normally would. Eventually she stopped going to the guild altogether.

Obviously, Lucy's new behavioral developments didn't sit well a certain Fairy Tail fire mage. It took one time for Natsu to break into her home and startle her awake, causing the usual bubbly blonde to have a full on anxiety attack. Loke had to open a gate with his own magic to help calm her down before she 'Lucy kicked' the dragon slayer all the way to Lamia Scale in a fit of irate fright.

Though he was dense as a rock, the celestial maiden did know that Natsu noticed her odd behavior, but she often wondered if he wrote it off as her just being extra weird lately. As far as she knew, the fire breather had no idea what was going on with his partner and she was sure it frustrated him that she was acting so odd.

The young woman knew the pyromaniac would be raring to go on a mission soon, but she had been so distant lately that it was hard to even talk to him about anything, let alone her inner turmoil. If the slayer couldn't physically beat up the problem, then he wouldn't know how to help.

While Lucy was sure Natsu didn't have a clue what was going on with her, her celestial spirits were a completely different story. They could all physically feel her distress and one of them would often pop out on their own magic during one of her anxiety episodes to make sure she was okay. Loke- as the leader of the Zodiac keys- was especially worried for her mental health.

The lion spirit had wanted to tell Master Makarov as soon as Lucy started showing signs of her anxiety-induced nightmares; however the blonde had begged and pleaded with him to give her more time to try and get things settled by herself. Reluctantly, he submitted much to Lucy's relief and didn't bring it up again. The zodiac leader figured the best he could do was be by her side when another anxiety attack took hold of her, a comfort which the blonde was undoubtedly grateful for.

The last thing Lucy wanted was for her guild to find out about her inner turmoil and start worrying over her. So here she was now, taking small missions so she could afford to take a bit of time to recover from her emotional trauma without worrying about rent and the necessities.

Lucy was startled out of her thoughts when she felt a slight rise in magical pressure to her left; she quickly leaped out of the way just in time to dodge a sphere of charged magical energy. The magic sphere sizzled and popped as it collided and shattered into the tree that was directly behind where she had been standing just seconds ago.

The celestial fairy whirled around in time to see yet another sphere coming straight for her; she quickly unraveled her whip and sent the end slicing through the magic sphere made up of what appeared to be lightning magic right before it barreled into her. The blonde reeled her whip back in, readying for another attack.

"Wow, I'm impressed. I never thought you would be able to dodge that last one. You've got some skill, girl."

Lucy tightened her hold on her whip and held her other hand close to her keys, ready to call for reinforcement if necessary. The blonde felt her heart drop as she looked on in horror as not one man, but multiple large groups of men emerge from the tree lines.

_Could they be part of a dark guild? Maybe they're bandits?_

_What do they want with me, anyways?_

"Those keys look like they would be worth some money, boss, we should take them from her!" One of the men to her right yelled. Lucy tightened her hold on her keys while her eyes darted from one group of men to the next.

_This is just my luck! I just had to run into bandits that just so happened to have magic in their ranks, didn't I?_

She was just about to pull out a key when she felt the ground underneath her feet shift and give away to expose multiple giant vines protruding from the ground. The blonde screamed as one of the vines ripped her keys right out from under her hand, the force causing her shoulder to dislocate with a sickening pop as she toppled to the ground.

Lucy struggled to get back on her feet just as a vine snaked its way to her. The celestial mage let out a pained cry as one of the vines wrapped around her hurt arm and started dragging her up into the air. She kicked her feet out in a futile attempt to knock the rough green foliage away, but it was no use. It was at that moment, relief washed over the blonde woman as she witnessed the bright light of a gate opening and a blur of orange push past her to the mage controlling the vines.

She heard the voice of her lion zodiac as he landed a punch on the vine mage, who went surging back to the ground with a thump. The zodiac leader's attack effectively caused the thick foliage's grip to loosen enough for Lucy to fall back down to the ground. The celestial maiden had been expecting her backside to kiss the dirt once again but the pain never came.

She looked up to see that Loke had caught her before her body could fully meet the ground. Lucy looked over to where she heard the sound of men yelling in a panic as Virgo burrowed into the ground, creating multiple huge holes and trapping multiple men within their depth. She didn't even recall seeing the pink headed maid's gate open, but at that particular moment, Lucy didn't care. The blonde was just happy to see her two spirits.

"Don't worry, princess. We are here to assist you" Loke assured Lucy as he set her back down firmly on to the ground. Lucy looked from her shoulder to the lion's face to give him a small smile of gratitude.

"Thanks, Loke. I knew I should have called one of you out earlier." Lucy shook her head as she acknowledged her own mistake The blonde fairy had been considering calling one of her spirits out to keep her company on the walk down the overgrown path she used as a shortcut coming into Achidea at the beginning of her mission.

Loke started to turn back to face the vine mage but was caught off guard as a ball of white hot lightning collided with his torso. The force of the blow caused him to stagger back and drop to his knees as he coughed up a good amount of blood. Virgo looked up from the tunnel where she had just emerged and called out to warn him, but it was too late, think green foliage crashed into his bent body and wrapped its way around his middle as another smaller vine worked its way up to his neck. Both vines squeezed in unison, cutting off his oxygen. Loke's hands came up to wrap around the foliage attached to his throat, but no matter how much he fought he couldn't loosen the death grip.

The mage controlling the foliage willed the vines to push the spirit's body up into the air, and then forcefully sent him back crashing to the ground. The vines loosened their grip as Loke strained to force his body off the ground, but unfortunately his form started to fade in and out signaling his inevitable departure back to the spirit realm. His body quickly faded as he uttered words of apologizes to his master.

"I'm sorry Lucy, I shouldn't have turned away from a battle. That was my own fault. Virgo, make sure to keep our princess safe!" Loke called out to the pink hair maid. Virgo nodded her understanding as she jumped out of the hole she was in and stood in fighting stance next to Lucy.

The stellar mage watched the scene unfold in both shock and horror, everything had happened so fast that she didn't have time to register what was going on around her. She had called for Loke, but it was too late. He was already safe back in the celestial world recovering from his injuries, which that was a relief in its own way.

Lucy watched the lightning mage smirk as he started walking up to her. She struggled to get back on her feet, which was proving to be a bit of a hassle while having an injured shoulder. Lucy tightened her hold on her whip as she watched the man dangle her celestial gate keys from his index finger.

"My my, we have ourselves some fighters, boys! What do you say we have a little fun with these two?" Cheers erupted from the remaining men as the head mage looked at Lucy with a malicious gleam in his eye. The blonde felt a shiver crawl its way up her spine as her teeth clenched together while a cold sweat broke over her body. She had seen that look too many times in the past month. The look in this mage's eye reminded Lucy too much of the look the monster gives the blonde in her nightmare. The pink haired maid shook Lucy's uninjured shoulder lightly; the gesture snapped the fairy back into reality.

"Not a chance in your life. You're going to pay for what you did to my friend." Lucy defiantly swung her whip straight for the man holding her keys.

"Virgo, NOW!" Lucy demanded, causing the maid to jump into action. The pink haired spirit barreled down into the ground and dug a tunnel, effectively trapping and binding a few men as the ground crumbled beneath their feet. Lucy's attack served as a perfect distraction as the man holding her keys lost his footing while Virgo continued to demolish the ground from underneath his feet. The lightning bandit dropped Lucy's keys in an attempt to keep from falling down into another one of Virgo's holes and the blonde let out an internal cheer. Her keys were out of his filthy hands.

"Okay, now you are really starting to piss me off." The lightning wielder frowned with an agitated edge to his voice. He jumped back away from Lucy and gave her one last wicked smirk before he bent down to the ground. The vine mage stepped up beside him taking the same stance. The blonde scrutinized them as they put their hand to the earth and sent a pulse of their magic into the ground. Lucy tried to jump back away from the magic pulse but wasn't fast enough as multiple electrically charged vines shot from the ground. They snagged the blonde by the waist and coiled around her body as they sent waves of white hot lightning through her body.

She screamed out in agony and horror as she watched Virgo emerge from the ground covered in the lightening coated foliage as well. The celestial mage stared helplessly as the vines sent electric pulses through her spirit, making her convulse and arch up as the maid screamed out in agony. Virgo's body started to fade as she reached her physical limit.

Lucy watched as a sigh of relief passed her lips. Even though she knew they wouldn't die, she never liked seeing her spirits in pain. The blonde was glad the pink haired spirit was back in the spirit world, where she was safe and would heal from her wounds.

"Oh, the pink haired girl vanished. Looks like you're the only one left to play with now." The lightning mage sneered at Lucy. Brown orbs tried helplessly to hold in their tears as the electric shocks finally started to die down. The rough foliage pulled the blonde up higher into the air as several other vines shot up from the earth, each snaking around a separate limb and pulling.

Lucy let out a high pitched shriek as the animated undergrowth pulled on the wrist attached to her hurt shoulder, causing it to twist with another loud agonizingly sick pop. Lucy felt a wave of nausea overcome her as she braced herself for the onslaught of pain. The vines sent her body crashing into the ground before slowly dragged her back up again. She heard the lightning mage laugh as he walked closer to her restrained body.

"You've been such a naughty girl. Look, most of my men have been knocked unconscious thanks to your little pink haired maid." The male spat as he grabbed hold of her thick blonde hair to make her look him in the eye as he spoke. The celestial mage's eyes glassed over as the pain in her shoulder intensified when he forced her head down to his level.

"What should your punishment be?" he pondered as his eyes roamed over Lucy's overexposed body. Her clothes had started to tatter and rip from being tossed around on the jagged uneven ground, leaving her in a more revealing outfit than she originally put on that morning.

Lucy couldn't help the terrified feeling that washed over her.

_He couldn't be thinking what I think he is thinking, could he?_

Her once hazy mind had cleared almost immediately as she forced her eyes to focus and take in the sinfully vulgar look he was giving her body. The fairy's heart- that was still trying to get over the electric shock, raced at an irregular rhythm as it beat against her rib cage in sheer panic from the man's carnal eyes.

The celestial fairy became hyper aware of her situation when her honey brown eyes locked on to the man as he lifted his filthy free hand and settled it on her partially bare hip. Lucy felt a cold sweat form on her body as he caressed the soft exposed skin before forcefully grasping her hipbone and sending another electric pulse into her body.

The blonde convulsed as the lightning coursed through her body causing white hot pain to rip at every nerve ending. Lucy let out a piercing cry as the electric current raced from her hips to every other part of her body. Her fingernails dug into the flesh of her palms as both her hands clenched into fists, her toes curled as her back arched up making her body jerk as the convulsions died down. The men who weren't unconscious gathered around and laughed jovially as Lucy's eyes rolled into the back of her head.

The blonde Fairy Tail mage held back the sobs that threatened to overtake her body as her watery brown orbs leaked. She let her head fall forward to cover her eyes; she would not let them see her cry. She would never let them see her cry.

The mage circled her restrained body, using an electrically charged index finger to glide over her exposed skin. Lucy involuntarily jumped and whimpered as the small shocks caused pain to jump from one area of her body to another.

"I think I like the way you scream, you should do it some more." The lightning mage mocked as he put his palms to her back and sent more waves electric current coursing through her body. The stellar maiden cried out as his palm dragged down from her back to her waist then to grip her rear. Lucy saw stars as the searing hot lightning ripped every last nerve in her body, the blonde involuntarily pulled at the vines confining her, causing them to tighten their hold on her wrists and ankles. Lucy lost feeling in her arm when her shoulder made another pop as it was pulled too hard for the last time. She couldn't hold back anymore, the abuse was too much. Her eyes watered and she let out another deafening screech that died down to a sob.

"Boss, we are going to go set up camp a little further down the path. Have fun with her." Lucy heard a man speak as she listened the scuffing of boots on rocks as they faded away into the distance, the tale sign that people were leaving. She looked up only to be met with a glowing fist to the side; she swore she felt her rib break from the forceful impact. Pain shot through her body in a whole new way as she felt warm liquid flow over her hip and travel down her leg.

"Alright, I won't be too long. Brother, do you wish to stay or are you leaving me to have all the fun?" The lightning mage said looking at the vine mage from the corner of his eye.

"I believe I will go help the others set up camp, you can have this one." The vine mage said as he walked over to his brother and patted him on the shoulder.

"Just make sure to clean up your mess once you are done." He gave the lightening bandit one last smirk before looking back to Lucy, giving her a knowing sadistic look before he turned on his heel and started walking down the dirt path.

Lucy had a small glimmer of hope as she watched the vine mage walk away. She hoped that if he left the vines would loosen their grip. That hope was quickly snuffed out as she watched the mage disappear from sight and the vines kept their firm hold on her. The dread of the unknown made a small lump form in the back of her throat as she tried to keep her breathing as even as possible, an attempt that went forgotten as she watched the man pull a large hunting knife out of his pocket.

The knife gleamed as it reflected rays of the midday sun off its razor sharp serrated edge. The bandit tossed the blade around in his hand as he took his time slowly approaching her bound form; He was thoroughly enjoying the way Lucy's body unconsciously struggled to break free of his brother's vine magic. When he was finally standing directly in front of Lucy, he placed the dull edge of the knife on her face as he traced a stray tear as it fell from her eye, down her cheek, and off her jaw line.

"You really shouldn't have pissed me off, you know?" The man whispered into Lucy's ear as he took the knife from her face and slid it down her body. His free hand wrapped around her waist and caressed the small of her back. The blonde shivered as she felt the sharp edge barely graze her flesh as it traveled down the length of her body, then stop at her abdomen where he punched her earlier. Lucy cried out in agony as she felt the jagged point of the knife press slowly into her wounded side, she felt her flesh rip open slowly as every centimeter of the knife gouged its way into her already scorched side.

The blonde fairy tried to cry out but her screams were muffled as the man covered her mouth with his own. Her mind went completely blank as she felt his lips moving against hers. She tried to toss her head to the side, but the hand that was originally on her back came up and clamped around the back of her neck, forcing her to stay still. Lucy was acutely aware of everything, from the way his lips tasted like liquor and cigars to the feel of the jagged knife ripping through the innards of her abdomen. Lucy hated it all.

The knife was halfway into Lucy's body when the mage decided to send a pulse of magic through the blade. He let out a low moan as her body arched into his from the force of his magic entering her body. She strained against his grip as the current burned its way through the inside of her being. He swallowed her agonized cries with another forceful kiss and refused to remove his mouth from hers until the last of his magic dissipated and her body ceased its convulsions. Her body sagged as he stepped away from her, leaving the knife imbedded in her flesh.

Lucy's vision blurred as she forcefully jerked her head to look up as the sound of a zipper being undone reached her ears. Her eyes felt like they were spinning as she tried, but failed to focus on what the man was doing. The blonde felt her eyelids droop as her vision spun around in circles unable to pinpoint any single object that didn't blur or spin.

As her eyelids closed more, her blurred vision took notice to a flash of gold shining on the ground by the edge of the path barely visible through the overgrown grass where her gate keys lay forgotten.

Lucy could hear boots on gravel as he moved in closer to her. She felt his calloused hands roam over her exposed thighs as he slipped in between her legs to force them wider apart. The young woman panicked as she struggled harder against the foliage restraining her, a terrified sob ripped from her throat as she realized his sinful intentions. The screams of absolute terror and panic slipped passed her lips in hopes that someone, anyone would hear her cries of despair and terror. However, she was worried when they only seemed to excite the man more as he bent down to whisper in her ear.

"When I am done with you, you're going to wish you never even crossed paths with me." His putrid breath fanned against her cheek as he brought one hand to the back of her neck and grabbed her golden locks so he could crash his lips against hers once again. He swallowed her cries of pure panic as she felt his exposed hardened member rub against her thigh.

Lucy's heart was about to rip out of her chest as it beat faster and faster with every second that went by. The feel of the hardened appendage on her thigh made her gag as she felt the mage's muffled moan vibrate against her mouth. He licked at her bottom lip, demanding her to allow him entrance into her moist cavern. The blonde, however, defiantly clenched her mouth firmly shut in an attempt to force him away, but a rough push on the knife still embedded in her flesh had her gasping in pain. He used her cries as a way to gain entry into her sweet opening.

The taste of liquor and cigars made her retch into his forced kiss. She felt his tongue roam the crevices of her mouth as she refused to move a muscle. He removed his hand from the knife that was using Lucy's abdomen as a temporary sheath in favor to cup one of her full breasts as he bit into her bottom lip. The metallic taste of blood met the blonde's tongue as he kept up the assault on her tears pooled in celestial maiden's eyes as she was forced to take the rough abuse.

The hand in her hair loosened as he slid it down her back and past her rear to pull up one of her legs so her thighs further apart once again. A wave of shame and embarrassment formed low in the blonde's gut as she imagined the lewd position she was in.

"You won't even be able to walk when I am through with you. I promise I'm going to make this as painful as possible." He laughed as he moved his hands to undo the vines that were holding Lucy's upper half captive. She felt pain shoot through her shoulder as her injured arm fell to hang by her side when he released her from her confining restraints. She could tell that he thoroughly enjoyed every small whimper she made as he shoved her face into the dirt and he pulled both her arms behind her back causing the fairy to scream out in agony as he made sure to stretch her injured arm back even further than necessary.

He used one hand to bind her arms together while the other wrapped around her pelvic area. Lucy's face scraped against the dirt as he dragged her hips into the air. The position had Lucy feeling embarrassed and whorish as she realized her rear was sticking out, her torn mini skirt leaving nothing to the imagination.

She could practically feel his eyes roam freely over her raised backside causing more shivers to slip down her spine.

The Fairy Tail member tried to scoot away but the bandit effectively held her in place with her bound arms. He wasted no time as he moved behind her to grind against her with his engorged manhood, a deep throaty groan leaving the man.

Lucy let out a startled shriek when she felt his hardened shaft move against her as she felt him lift the back of her skirt to rest around her hips. Lucy shook violently from both anger and fear as his fingers grasped the outer edge of her underwear and tugged them over to the side.

_Please don't let this happen to me! Please! I want to lose my virginity to someone I love! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME! Why did I have to come down this stupid path!? Why didn't I just stay at home._

_Natsu…_

_Anyone…_

_Someone…_

_Please save me!_

Lucy sobbed louder as she felt a breeze brush against her exposed virgin womanhood; she couldn't hold back the tears now.

He let out another lustful groan as he rubbed the bulbous head of his swollen member against her entrance a few times. The celestial maiden thrashed around against his firm hold as best she could with her injured shoulder. Her struggles were in vain as he brought his free hand down to push her head back into the dirt to muffle her screams and pleas.

Lucy was punished with a hard spank to her bare ass cheek as she felt him use his palm to spread her out for his eyes to see. She could feel it as he reared back before slamming his engorged manhood into her full force.

Lucy's back arched as her virgin walls stretched and ripped from the force of intrusion as he filled her once sacred area. Pain far more intense than she had ever felt before in her life wracked her body, causing her to kick her legs wildly against the vines that still were wrapped around her ankles trying to force the much larger man off of her as she threw her head from one side to the other crying out in agony as he started pumping viciously in and out of her soft velvet heat. The blonde felt a warm liquid run down one of her legs as his thrust became more erratic and forceful all while she thrashed about wildly until all at once her pain faded.

Numb.

That is how she felt.

How much time had passed since he stolen her virginity?

Ten minutes?

Thirty?

The fairy didn't know how long she had been lying on the ground with her face shoved into the dirt as the man above her thrust in and out of her body. All the young woman knew was that she had started to become numb to the intense pain being inflicted to her lower half, her screams had died down and she had long since stopped flailing.

She lay with her face in the dirt motionless as her molester impaled her body over and over again. Lucy's mind had shut down, she didn't want to feel or even think. At that moment, she just wanted to live in nothingness.

The lightning mage was nearing his end as he thrust deeper and deeper into the little blonde's tight heat. Every other thrust he would send a pulse of electricity through her core, causing the muscles of her sex to clench even tighter around his aching manhood. He moaned as her muscles clenched one last time around him before he felt himself come undone. He pulled out of the blonde just as his white seed started to spurt out in thick milky streams. He took his hand off the back of her head and started rubbing himself to make sure all of his seed emptied on her bent back.

The lightning mage snorted as he let go of her arms and watched as she lay motionless with her face still on the ground. He stood up over her while zipping himself back into his pants before kicking he blonde woman onto her back on the side of the path. Lucy's eyes hazy and glazed over remained open as they stared up into the afternoon sky.

The man bent down so that his face was directly over her, He looked straight into her eyes as he ripped the blade out from her side. He waited to hear her delicious screams tumble out of her pink lips, but they never came. The celestial mage remained still as crimson fluid flowed from the open wound the man had just created.

"You can go ahead and bleed out and die now. I'm done with you." The mage said as he straightened back up, clearly disappointed he didn't get the reaction he was hoping for out of her. With one last look over his shoulders and the reassurance that the woman would bleed out, he turned on his heel to head in the direction his brother and men went.

Lucy heard the sound of crunching dirt and rock and assumed her assailant was walking away, leaving her alone to die in the afternoon heat. The sun's relentless rays beat down on Lucy's defiled body as she remained lying on the side of the path, too shocked and pained to move from her spot.

She remained still.

In all honesty, Lucy wasn't even sure if she was alive until the shock and nausea finally took over her body. Her mind could no longer block out the pain she had endured during her abuse. Her shoulder ached, and her abdomen was screaming in agony while the lower half of her body felt like it was on fire, raw and in pain. The blonde honestly didn't think she could walk if she even wanted to. Adrenaline licked at her veins as she felt the sticky crimson liquid slowly seep from her wounds. She forced her body to sit up, being cautious to move slowly to avoid receiving a head rush.

Lucy looked to where she had caught a glimpse of her keys that had been forgotten amongst the chaos. The keys glistened as the sun's rays bounced off their gold and silver exteriors, beckoning her to come reclaim what was rightfully hers. She dug the fingers of her good arm into the ground as she slowly started to drag herself down the path. She grits her teeth to keep from crying out as every inch she drug her body, the stab wound on her side would tear open and fresh blood would gush out at an alarming rate. The celestial maiden took a labored breath as she pushed herself up to her hand and knees and crawled clumsily the rest of the way to her keys. Her lower half was on fire but she endured it because she knew she would have her keys with her soon.

Ignoring the shaking of her legs as the Fairy Tail member reached out to let her hand linger over the polished gold and silver, Lucy let the sickening feeling of realization hit her. She had gotten so close- to close- to losing her cherished spirits. She could no longer keep the tears at bay as she snatched the precious metals up to hug the key ring close to her chest with her remaining good arm.

The blonde wept as she let all her emotions crash into her for what felt like hours until she was reminded by a tearing sharp pain that she needed to do something about her abused abdomen. The celestial spirit mage struggled to rip off the remaining end of her halter top in a poor attempt to tie it around her throbbing side. She knew it wasn't ideal and the tie job was extremely sloppy given the fact that she was short an arm and clothing for that matter, but it would have to suffice. The makeshift bandage would only temporarily stem the flow, but it would have to be enough.

Her legs buckled under the weight of her own body as she attempted for the first time to stand on her own two legs. Agony licked at her nerves as the movement caused sharp pulsing pain to rip through both her abdomen and the lower part of her body. Lucy stood on shaky legs as she held out one of her beloved keys while letting out a whimper as she finally pushed past the pain.

"Open! Gate of the twins- Gemini!" The exhausted fairy struggled to keep on her feet as she watched Gemi and Mini emerge from their gate in a sparkle of golden light. The spirits quickly transformed from their usual floating celestial forms into a carbon copy of their keyholder. The Lucy double wrapped their arms around their shaken master quickly to keep the blonde from falling face first into the dirt.

"You need to get medical attention, you are severely hurt!" Gemini scolded the barely conscious blonde as they kept the mage grounded, being careful to avoid touching her unmoving limp arm. The spirits marveled at their key holder as she just let out a weak laugh before whimpering from the agony that shot through her abdomen from the gesture.

"I know, Gemini and I promise I will get the necessary treatment I need as soon as I finish what's already been started." The blonde mage wheezed as tried to hold in a cough before continuing.

"Will you help me walk down this path? I have some unfinished business and I need your assistance to end it." Lucy looked at the concerned face of her mimicking spirit. The blonde could tell that Gemini was having an eternal conflict because they wouldn't tell her no, but she knew they would much rather help her acquire the medical assist she needed.

"Please, Gemini… I need to do this." Lucy begged as tears started to form in her already red rimmed eyes. The blonde knew she was being reckless, but she didn't want to let that man and his lackeys get away with what they have done. For hers, Loke's and Virgo's sake- She would personally make sure that that man paid.

"Your magic is depleting as we speak, we can feel it. Whatever you are planning we need to do it fast before you completely drain yourself!" Gemini said with worry in their voice. They didn't want their precious master to get hurt anymore than she already was, and they also knew that she was running on pure adrenaline as it was now. However they couldn't defy their key holder.

The spirit's eyes scrunched up as they contemplated their options before giving a long sigh. The copycat spirit placed the stellar mage's good arm firmly over their shoulder and moved to help her walk on unsteady legs.

The walk was filled with silence and the sound of awkward footing on loose gravel as they headed back the way Lucy originally came from. The blonde had a suspicion that she already knew exactly where those low lives set up their camp. The pathway ahead cleared out to open into a small field and there wasn't a doubt in the blonde's mind that that is where they were planning on staying.

"Are Loke and Virgo okay?" Lucy looked over to Gemini concern marring her bruised and battered face. The spirits looked away from their key holder, not wanting to see the anguish that lie deep within those brown orbs.

The spirit couldn't help but think that was just such a Lucy question for her to ask. In this scenario she was more worried about her spirit's health than her own, and it deeply concerned the twins. Their blonde master was always so preoccupied with the wellbeing of others that she never stopped to think about her own health.

"They are healing up just fine, Lucy. You need to worry about yourself for now. You know all Celestial spirits will heal up in no time once we are back in our own world." Gemini deadpanned as the fairy turned her face back to the path. They had been walking for at least fifteen minutes and were finally nearing the field.

"Let's start walking through woods at the edge of the path so they don't see us coming; we have to be very quiet." The celestial mage whispered as she made an attempt to lean more of her body forward to try and walk on her own. Her legs had started to stop quaking while the pain in her nether region and side grew with every step she took.

Lucy knew she wouldn't be able to keep Gemini's gate open for much longer, so she needed to act fast and get it over with before she used up all her magic. Adrenaline licked at her veins as the two neared the camp of the bandits. Lucy felt fear and anguish wash over her already sweating body as they crept closer and closer to the booming sound of men's laughter.

The blonde felt her legs lock up while her whole body came to a halt as the voice of the man that had defiled her just hours ago met her ears. His laugh sent shivers down her spine as she took a hesitant step back.

Turmoil started to eat at the blonde's mind as she contemplated turning back while she still had a chance. The young woman started to have doubts as flashes of her assault flicked through her already scattered brain.

Could she really go through with this? Could she really take them out?

The pain in her side intensified as her breathing became shallow and sweat broke out over her forehead. Gemini leaned in to whisper in her ear that everything was going to be fine and there was no reason to push herself.

Lucy remained still as the images from just a few hours ago flooded her thoughts. Though she was petrified, she knew that she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't take action now. Natsu and her team wouldn't always be around to save her when she was hurt.

No matter how much physical pain she was in at this very moment, the pain of moving forward knowing that this vile man was going to get away with what he did to her was enough to make her legs move once again.

Gemini stood by her side taking her hand as they crept silently to the back of the campsite unseen. The bandits that had been wounded in their earlier fight where lying close to a fire as the other men rough housed and laughed about non-sense that neither of them could understand. The wind blew while the sun creep slowly across the sky signaling that evening had begun to set in as the trees long dark shadows had started to paint the ground.

"Lucy, I picked up your whip earlier before we started walking. I think you should have it now." Gemini whispered to her as the spirit pulled out fleuve d'etoiles from her bag. Lucy thanked the copycat version of herself as she stood at the very edge of the trees, scanning the camp, looking for the man that had stolen her innocence from her.

She spotted him sitting on a fallen tree close to the other side of the field. Though Lucy couldn't hear him, she knew that he was talking to the vine mage as they took turns drinking from a canteen. She gripped the handle of her whip as she looked to Gemini and nodded signaling them that she was okay and ready. Gemini nodded in return and pulled up one of the golden keys and chanted "Open gate of the sea-Goat, Capricorn!" Gemini's chant had drawn the attention of a few of the bandits. However, they were caught by surprise as Capricorn appeared out of his golden gate.

The goat spirit took one look at his master and nodded his understanding. He took off after the lightning mage who just caught on that they had an intruder infiltrate their camp. Lucy let out a bated breath as she let her resolve sink into her bones.

Capricorn used his advanced fighting skills to successfully push back both the lightening and vine mage before they could conjure up their magic. The spirit glanced back to Lucy and Gemini as the copycat steadied their key holder from falling. Capricorn knew they had to be quick about this, he could feel Lucy's magic dropping at an alarming rate. He just hoped he could hold off some of the bandits as they both got ready for the spell.

"You are going to pay for what you did to my Master." Capricorn said to the stunned pair of mages as they braced themselves for another one of the goat's attacks.

Close to the other side of the field, Lucy and Gemini -still in their form as their master- stood face to face holding their hands together as they both chanted into the sky.

"Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens. All the stars, far and wide…" Lucy and Gemini chanted as the sky visibly began to darken. Stars were visible in the artificial night sky as they shone brightly down onto Earthland causing some of the bandits to stop fighting and marvel at the wondrous view of the calm night sky.

"Show me thy appearance with such shine, Oh tetrabiblos, I am the ruler of the stars..." The sky swirled together in a stream of color as the stars shone so brightly the light was blinding. By this point all the bandits had stopped to stare in awe at the two girls and the beautifully threatening sky as both spectacles shone with such brilliance.

"Aspect become complete. Open they malevolent gate, Oh 88 stars of the Heaven… SHINE!" Lucy and Gemini dropped to the ground onto their knees while still connect as the stars began to descend to Earthland. The powerful magic targeted all of the bandits as the bright lights of the stars crashed into each and every one of them,

The ground shook with such force that craters begin to form from the impacts. Lucy let out a piercing scream as she let tears fall from her eyes. Both Gemini and Capricorn vanished as the stars began to stop falling. The sky started to take on its normal evening color as the blonde stellar mage sat on her knees screaming to the sky, alone.

Her body ached with pains as exhaustion threatened to take over her body. She slowly stood to her feet, grasping her arm as she looked around the now destroyed field. Desolation and silence met her ears, all of the bandits had been successfully taken out by the powerful celestial spell. Lucy knew none of them would be waking up soon. The blonde struggled to walk back down the path to the outskirts of Achidea, leaving behind the fallen bandits and destruction she had created, it was too bad she had no way to contact the magic council.

Lucy knew she needed medical attention immediately if she expected to make it through the fast approaching night, but she also knew that the nearest hospital was miles away. She trudged as far as she could from the bandits destroyed campsite until she could no longer walk.

* * *

 

Lucy let the memory of the day lull her into a deep deep slumber. At this moment in time, she would welcome death; her life was one big mess after another, anyways. The gate key wielder just wished that she was able to tell Natsu and the guild goodbye. She wanted them to know that she loved them, and wanted to hug each and every last one of them one last time.

Who knew that the cost of taking it easy would be the high cost of my own life?

The blonde laughed bitterly, the sound ringing into the forlorn night as she finally let herself fall into the dark abyss of her mind, hoping that at least the nightmares would let her rest easy before death from blood loss or magic depletion took her.

Or was that too much to ask for?

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_I had wanted to start posting this sooner, I spent such a long time (Almost 6 months) trying to find a beta reader to look over the completed chapters, but never found any one that was able to. I truly apologize if there are any errors that I have missed._

_With that being said, if anyone would like to beta read the new and improved chapters before they are posted, please feel free to leave a review or message me!_

_Thank you all!_


	2. Chapter Two

**Hi everyone! I want to take a minute to thank everyone who added this story to their favorites or following lists! I do look forward to reviews, so don't be shy and tell me what you think. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Also, thank you so much to YungVodkaDikost from FF for beta reading this chapter! :D**

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CHAPTER TWO

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Soft golden rays of light illuminated the tops of trees and cast long downward shadows onto the still form of the town below. The setting sun hung low as the huge orb made its way down to the now orange tinted horizon. The number of town's people bustling down the main road into the town had significantly dwindled as the golden hue signified the inevitable nightfall that was soon to come.

The ebony haired man sighed while his ruby red gaze observed the sky's deep orange color slowly fade to give way to the darkness of night. The man couldn't help but feel like he was being led around in circles like a ridiculous game of cat and mouse- that he was losing, if the fact that he was forced to trek down a new road in yet  _another_  godforsaken town was any creditable form of indication.

The thought of the target of his mission slipping through his calloused hands once again left an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Of course, the shadow dragon slayer wasn't bothered by trivial and unimportant things like tracking down bandits alone. No, in fact sometimes he  _loved_ getting a small amount of time away from his over exuberant partner- but now, was not one of those times.

Though he had his beloved Frosch to keep him company, Rogue was really wishing his fellow Sabertooth slayer would have been able to come along to assist him in getting this requested mission done and over with. The ebony haired male pinched the bridge of his nose as a headache started to form behind his eyes.

It was difficult to get a little peace in his now rambunctious guild, so yes; he would gladly take a small mission every now and then just to have a moment of peace to himself. Besides, taking a mission was a great way to pass the time when Sting had to catch up on the massive amount of paperwork piling up on his desk.

The white dragon slayer had vowed to make the Sabertooth guild a bit more like the Fairy Tail guild with every passing day, and the blonde had definitely made good on that vow. To say that the Sabertooth guild had changed would be a complete understatement. The guild had undergone intense ever-constant change since the Grand Magic Games had ended- something that everyone was immensely grateful for.

The former most powerful guild in Fiore did a complete one-eighty, turning from a cold ruthless guild who only sought power, into one that was much more friendly and easy going in just a few short weeks. The changes had been a welcomed relief to everyone in or who associated with the guild.

Even though both dragon slayers had moved into the guild's living quarters after they returned from Crocus, the shadow slayer still had to accommodate for housing, food, and essentials for Frosch and himself. So, Rogue found himself having to take a couple of missions without the new guild master, who of course complained wholeheartedly about being left behind with mountains of paperwork to do.

The ebony haired mage let a small smirk play over his usually stoic face as he thought of his twin complaining behind a giant stack of forms ready be filled out and apology letters to be signed. Rogue knew that Sting was itching to get out of the guild and go on a mission like they used to, but being the guild master of the second most powerful guild in Fiore came with a massive amount of responsibilities that couldn't go ignored for too long. The red-eyed male just thanked the gods that Sting had Lector to keep him company along with their resident celestial mage, Yukino.

His twin and the silver haired beauty had become a lot closer after the Grand Magic Games, and that had the ebony haired mage speculating that the lighter haired slayer would end up taking the stellar mage as his mate before the end of the year if fate had anything to do with it.

Rogue didn't care how much Sting denied his feelings, the shadow dragon slayer and the rest of the guild could see right through the new guild master. After all, Sting and Yukino were practically attached at the hip by this point. So much so that when Sting was able to get out of his office to go on a mission, Yukino would accompany both him and Rogue without even having to ask. It was just expected she would tag along these days.

Rogue sighed as he watched the darkness of night swallow the last remnants of light from the day. Shadows began to form around him, fueling his instinctual dragon slayer magic. The mage had -and would always feel- the most powerful at night; it was natural when he was surrounded by his element. Rogue knew that no matter how strong they made him feel in the cover of night, he had to be cautious because the shadows could also be very dangerous as they held the power of evil intent as well. The Shadow slayer's magic was one in the same with the darkness, so he knew he could never let his guard down, or else his very magic would consume him once again.

Rogue thought back to the Grand Magic Games when his shadow had almost succeeded in consuming him, and he didn't even want to remember the eclipse gate incident. The shock of finding out that the cause for all the destruction was none other than his future counterpart- who had been consumed by the very same shadow he fought against daily- had almost been too much for Rogue to take in.

The ebony haired male clenched his fist together as he thought of the crazed man that came from the future. He would never become that man. He would never let the darkness get a hold of him. That was a promise he knew he would never break.

Rogue was brought out of his thoughts as Frosch snuggled closer to his neck, the wind was picking up just a bit, so the slayer made sure to drape his cloak over the small exceed that was curled up sleeping on his shoulder. He would never become his future counterpart, because he would never let anything happen to Frosch. The ebony haired man pat the green exceed's head while making sure to keep him covered. Rogue would protect his little companion with his life if it came down to it, which he knew for a fact.

Rogue let his piercing red eyes scan over the small overgrown path he had stumbled upon while walking around the town of Achidea, the last known location of the group of bandits he was currently trying to capture to turn into the magic council. The mission would have been relatively simple if these were just your typical run-of-the-mills bandits, but they were far from typical.

This particular group of bandits also had powerful wizards as their top rank leaders, bumping the mission up from a regular request to an S-class mission. The ebony haired slayer knew there had been reports of them looting town's people, and kidnapping women along their way. Sadly, the reports say the kidnapped women never make it back to their families. Most are usually found dead miles from where they were taken, often in other towns or not at all.

So far, Rogue wasn't having any luck finding the infamous bandits when all he had to go off was rumored locations from the local townsfolk. The magic council, being the ones who made the request, could only offer up last known locations and reports. The whole situation put him on edge and had him frustrated to no end.

Rogue scoffed as he glanced back towards the path before turning his back to head back into the heart of the town. If he hurried, he might be able to make it to the local inn and get a shower and meal before going to bed to start his search all over again tomorrow.

The dragon slayer stiffened when his ebony hair lightly whipped around his face from a particularly strong wind. Rogue closed his eyes as he caught a strange scent that was oddly familiar to him being carried on the wind's path, causing him instinctively to turn back towards the eerie trail.

He stood, his back straight with his nose pointed up in the air trying to catch even the smallest trace of the odd scent once again. The slayer's body went ridged as his nostrils flared, finally catching that sweet yet slightly sinister scent once more, though this time it was mixed heavily with the smell of blood.

Without a second thought, the Sabertooth mage turned to face the direction the aroma was coming from then merged with the shadows and drifted down the pathway.

Rogue couldn't place where he had picked up the sweet scent before, but his curiosity got the best of him as he reemerged from the shadows into a small opening much like a field. With his enhanced dragon slayer vision, he could see even in the darkness of night that the area had taken quite an impact of damage. Trees had been crushed from an invisible force as if something fell straight from the sky creating giant crates on the ground beneath his feet. Men lay scattered amongst the destruction, obviously they had taken a serious beating _._

_..But from who?_

Rogue strolled through the destroyed field, looking over all the men that lay unconscious. He was taken aback when he noticed that two of these men matched the same vivid descriptions of the top leaders among the bandits said to cause chaos and discord in their wake.

The ebony haired man slipped out his communication lacrima and sent a pulse of magic to the device while he focused on a vision of Sting. It wasn't long until an image of the said dragon slayer popped up.

Rogue's face remained stoic as he took in Sting's current state of being. It looked as if he had fallen asleep on his desk if the red mark on his forehead was any indication. The blonde haired male gave out a loud yawn as his groggy eyes finally seemed to focus on Rogue through the communication lacrima.

"What's up, Rogue? Did you catch those bandits, yet?" The guild master asked with another tired and obnoxiously loud yawn as he leaned back and stretched. The hopelessness in Sting's voice  _almost_  made Rogue smirk. He knew that the blonde would much rather be helping him then stuck in the confines of his office.

"I believe so. I found them unconscious down an abandoned old trail leading out of Achidea. Call the Magic Council to come and get them." Rogue demanded to the now alert guild master. Sting nodded as he finally let the first part of the darker twin's sentence sink it.

"What do you mean you found them unconscious? Someone had already taken them out, but didn't call the council?" Sting questioned his dark haired companion. The latter just rolled his eyes at his best friend and guild master.

"Stop wasting time and call the council, I'm just as in the dark as to what happened here as you are. All I know is the area is a complete disaster." Rogue calmly stated moving the lacrima around, so Sting could see the damage.

"Alright, you stay in the area while I make the call to the council. It shouldn't take them long to get to your location, maybe about fifteen to twenty minutes at the most." Sting said before he cut off the communication from the lacrima. Frosch had begun to stir from the loud voices of the two dragon slayer's talking to one another. The little exceed set up on Rogue's shoulder while the Shadow mage slipped off the pack he had been carrying and put the lacrima back in its original place.

"How did you sleep, Frosch?" Rogue asked his pink frog suit wearing exceed.

"Fro had a great dream about fish! Can we get fish soon, Rogue?" Frosch asked Rogue while throwing his paws up in the air to show his excitement over the thought of eating fish. The slayer smiled fondly at his little friend while he took him off his shoulder and started carrying him in his arms while making sure all the bandits stayed put.

"I think that is a great idea, Frosch." Rogue agreed as he looked up at the sky. A soft breeze blew lightly past Rogue, tossing his ebony hair around his face once again. He stilled as the familiar, yet unfamiliar scent he originally was in pursuit of wafted through the breeze. The source of the aroma wasn't far off, but it alarmed him as to how much blood he could smell in the mix of the scent now.

Rogue took one more look around the damaged field before walking to the other side that opened up to resume the small pathway. He could sense another heartbeat in the quiet of the night not far away from where he and Frosch are now. The shadow dragon slayer glided through the small path that twisted and turned down the dense forest that surrounded them, the heartbeat growing louder with every step he took.

The foul smell of iron filled blood permeated the trail as he drew in closer to the source of the familiar and obviously injured source of the scent. He stopped as the sight of a tree with one bloody hand print adorning its bark caught his attention.

The curious slayer walked closer squinting while his eyes traveled to the ground beside the tree. He gasped as his eyes fell on the small form of a woman. Frosch pushed out of Rogue's arms causing him to land on the ground with a small thump then waddled over to the unconscious woman's body.

"Miss Lady, are you okay?" Frosch shook the arm of the woman but pulled back with a cry as his eyes dropped to her side and saw the crimson cloth that had been the source of the puddle of blood he was standing in.

Rogue immediately removed Frosch from the woman's side before he went to put his hand on her wrist to check for a pulse. Her heartbeat was still there, but it was so slow and unsteady he was worried she was going to die right then and there with he and Frosch and by her side.

The dragon slayer threw off the pack he had slung over his shoulder and started fishing through its contents. The ebony haired male pulled out a small first aid kit and only hoped it had enough supplies in it to cover what he could already tell was a gnarly wound on her side.

With baited breath, Rogue opened the kit and said a silent thanks to whatever deity was watching over him at the moment. The shadow dragon slayer pulled out the gauze pads and surgical tape while Frosch watched on in complete horror.

Rogue always hated when the little exceed was put into these types of situations, but the slayer also knew that this wasn't the first and most likely wouldn't be the last time the feline would see someone hurt in the line of work he does. The ebony haired male carefully undid the tied clothing that was covering the woman's injured abdomen while trying to avoid hurting her.

"Frosch, I need your help, can you hold this flashlight steady so I can see her side clearly?" Rogue held the flashlight out to the shaken exceed. The little feline gulped but nodded as he took the light out of Rogue's hand then attempted to hold it steady to where the beam was pointed directly on the woman's wounded side, then quickly turned his head away with tears in his eyes so he didn't have to watch.

A low growl rumbled from the slayer's throat as the blood soaked cloth dropped to the ground revealing the amount of damage inflicted on the woman's side.

_What the hell exactly happened to this person?_

Not only did she have an injury that looked like it had been gouged out, but her flesh around it looked like it had been cauterized, then ripped open once again. The skin was bubbled and pink like she had been severely burned beforehand as well. Rogue didn't have to lift any more of her clothing to see she had similar burns covering the rest of her body.

He quickly put the gauze over her side and tried to tape it down to whatever undamaged part of skin he could find, which was proving to be a challenge.

The dragon slayer looked up when he heard shouting in the distance, which he could only assume that the council had finally shown up and was taking the bandits into custody.

The conflicted male looked in the direction he had just came from, wondering if he should take this woman to them as well, but decided against it when he looked down to try and distinguish the characteristics of her face.

Her smell was driving him insane. Being so close to her, and yet he still wasn't able to tell who exactly she was because of all the wounds and filth covering her body. He knew her identity was right on the top of his head, but he just couldn't put two and two together.

Her face was bruised and swollen while dirt and blood clung to her like a second skin. Her hair was also matted and dirty and he couldn't even tell what color it originally was. Did she have brown hair with dirty blonde highlights or maybe she was a blonde?

"Rogue, is Miss Lady going to be okay?" Frosch cried as he climbed into Rogue's arms. Rogue set him on his shoulder, not caring for the smell of blood that now coated the bottom of his exceed's frog suit.

"I don't know, Frosch, but we should take her to get some help, shouldn't we?" Rogue said standing up to look over the frail woman's body. How could he pick her up without hurting her even more?

"Can we bring Miss Lady back to the guild with us, Rogue? Maybe she will feel better if she has some fish as well!" Frosch asked with such innocence and hope in his eyes. Rogue didn't see the harm in taking her back to the guild, they did have an amazing infirmary and she did smell extremely familiar.

Not only that, the nearest hospital was about two hours away. Plus, he didn't want to upset Frosch by telling him no when he really didn't have a good reason not to. So, for the second time that night, Rogue took out his communication lacrima and focused as he pushed magic through it once again.

Rogue watched as the lacrima lit up with a confused image of Sting.

"Ah, come on man! You always have the worst timing, what is it now?" Rogue watched as a blushing Yukino appeared in the lacrima while the blonde slayer stood rubbing the back of his neck.

_Oh, they are so busted._

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have a more important situation. Can you get an infirmary bed ready, and tell Rufus I will need his assistance?" The ebony haired man said with a calm expression, even though he wanted to smirk for being able to interrupt a moment between their celestial maiden and his bonehead guild master.

"Infirmary? Why do you need Rufus? Both you and Frosch look fine to me." The blonde gave Rogue a confused look.

"The reason why I need an infirmary bed and Rufus is because I found an injured woman who might die if I leave her here for much longer. Her scent is oddly familiar, but I can't recognize her with how beaten and bruised she is." Rogue directed his lacrima to the unconscious body on the ground.

He heard a horrified feminine gasp which he could only assume came from Yukino and a string of curses come from the blonde male. Rogue returned the lacrima back to himself and looked at their concerned expressions.

"I'm going to go to tell Rufus you'll need his help when you get here. Yukino, you'll go get the infirmary ready. Rogue, get her here quick, she looks like death will be knocking on her door any minute, buddy." The connection went dead and the slayer turned to put the lacrima back in its original place.

The dragon slayer sighed while removing his cloak to put it over the woman's unmoving body. Her heart beat was still faint, but it had regained a steady rhythm now that the flow of blood had been stemmed better.

He leaned over and braced himself while he tried to pick her up as gently as he could. The woman let out a small pained whimper while he cradled her against his chest and carried her bridal style. He pushed his magic out and used it to cover himself, Frosch and the mystery woman as they merged with the shadows.

Rogue usually never used this form of travel with others except Frosch. It took up a lot of his magic to cover himself and another person, effectively draining his magic at a rapid rate. The longer he used his magic to merge all three of them into shadows, the faster his magic depleted.

Thankfully, Achidea neighbored Crocus so they weren't far from Sabertooth to begin with. Rogue pushed himself further into the shadows as they traveled faster to the guild.

When the ebony man finally stopped and reemerged from the shadows he was standing in front of the proud tall structure that was the Sabertooth guild. The shadow slayer wasted no time as he kicked open the door, paying no attention to the occupants of the guild hall as they gasped in shock looking from one another then back to the entry of the hall.

Rogue blocked out the whispers as he walked to the staircase that led to the second floor where the infirmary was stationed.

Questions along the lines of,  _'who is that girl?'_ And  _'What happened to her?'_  Circulated through the hall as the focused slayer continued his ascent up the staircase to the infirmary.

He walked down the long hallway cradling the fragile woman close to his chest so he didn't jostle her too much in his haste to get to the infirmary. Rogue could see the glimmer of silver hair as Yukino ran from the end of the hall with Rufus and Sting hot on her heels.

"How is she? Is her heart beat steady?" An out of breath Yukino asked as she shuffled closer to get a better look at the woman cradled in his. Sting and Rufus chose to observe from behind the silver haired mage, opting to look over her to get a glimpse of the beaten woman currently situated in the shadow mage's arm.

Frosch jumped off his place on Rogue's shoulder and onto the ground causing the concerned stellar mage to redirect her gaze to look down at the green exceed. Yukino- not wanting to startle Frosch anymore than he already was- told the feline that Lector was in the guild hall eating fish and suggested he should go get some as well.

While their celestial key holder was busy talking to Frosch, Rogue walked past her and the other two men who had been trying to catch a glimpse of the woman he was holding. The crimson eyed slayer just really wanted to put the mysterious woman down on an infirmary bed so she could get examined properly.

He shoved the door open and moved one of the adjoining privacy curtains back and gently laid the woman down on the pristine white bedding. The infirmary quickly filled up with people as Rogue moved away from the bed to let Rufus have a look at her.

Sabertooth didn't have an infirmary doctor- or even a healer for that matter, but they did have the next best thing.

Rufus was a memory-make mage and could basically mimic anything he remembered, including medical techniques. So even though they didn't have a doctor to take care of this woman, they did have someone just as good. The shadow mage watched as Rufus and Yukino mumbled to each other while they evaluated the bruised and battered body of the unconscious female.

The shadow dragon slayer fidgeted when he felt a wave of uneasiness wash over him while watching Rufus cut small portions of the girls' clothing off then poke at her tender flesh, something about another male touching her made a growl form low in his chest.

It wasn't so much that he was protective over her as much as it was that the woman just smelled weird. The ebony haired male couldn't understand why she was so familiar to him.

Rogue snapped out of his weird daze as he noticed the silver haired mage take a few steps away from the bed, tears threatening to fall as soon as they started to form in her eyes. Sting must have also taken notice of the racing of Yukino's heart as it beat uncontrollably. The Sabertooth guild master made to grab her arm to ask what was wrong, but the celestial mage just looked at him and shook her head as the tears started to fall. She put her hand up to her mouth to keep from openly sobbing.

Rufus must have known exactly what the stellar mage had realized because he stood from where he was examining the unconscious woman and firmly grabbed one of Rogue's shoulders.

"You need to tell me if you know who did this to her." Rogue was taken aback by the raw emotions swimming in Rufus's emerald eyes.

Shocked and confused by the display between both Yukino and Rufus, Sting chose to be the one to ask the question that was gnawing at both the twin dragons.

"What the hell is going on with you two!?" Sting shouted while Rufus removed his hand from Rogue's shoulder before putting a hand to his head while walking to stand beside Yukino, who had reclaimed her spot back by the woman's body.

Rogue could hear the silver haired woman's watery murmurs as she whispered to the unconscious body.

Rogue stood in the corner across the room while watching the display between the female saber and the mystery woman, still in the dark as to why both Rufus and Yukino were acting differently. Yukino was now using a wet cloth to clean off some of the dirt and blood from the female's face while still whispering to her in hushed tones.

"I can't say I know who did this to her, but if I had to guess, I would say it was most likely the bandits I was supposed to capture." The shadow dragon slayer pushed himself off the wall to stand behind Rufus as he examined the woman's left arm. The appendage was bent in the wrong direction indicating it was broken with a few tendons ripped as well.

The memory make mage moved from her left arm to the right side of her abdomen where the ebony haired male's make-shift bandage covered most of the severe damage. The shadow mage tried not to cringe as Rufus slowly and skillful peeled the now blood soaked bandage from her raw skin.

Rufus gasped as he saw the deep gouge marring her pale flesh, the sides of the wound were burnt and raw with blisters bubbling up over her porcelain skin.

"I'm going to need both Sting and Rogue to leave for privacy reasons; Yukino will stay to help with my evaluation." The memory make mage said to no one in particular as he got up to put on a pair of gloves and gather some more medical supplies from the cabinets. Rogue looked at Sting who shrugged and made his way to the door, the former hesitated before following the white dragon slayer out of the room.

"She does smell extremely familiar, but I just can't place it with the stench of blood surrounding her body." Sting noted as he leaned against the wall of the hallway next to the infirmary door.

"I put Orga in charge of guarding the top of the stairs just in case someone decides to get a little too interested while we assess the situation," The guild master said looking down the hall where he could see the lightning god slayer sitting by the wall, obviously bored out his mind. Rogue stood beside Sting as they waited outside the infirmary for what seemed like hours.

Finally, after what was actually forty-five minutes, the infirmary door swung open to show a tearful Yukino and a somber Rufus. The twin dragons felt the atmosphere shift as they moved away from the door to let the pair back into the infirmary.

"You two can come back in. I had Yukino clean her up as best as she could without my help. I cleaned and stitched the wound on her side, which from my memory was caused by some sort of electrocution, and then a knife was inserted. Electricity was forced into the wound from the knife, causing the flesh to cauterize around the blade while it was still embedded in her body, then the wound was reopened when it was removed, taking a lot of skin with it. Her arm was broken and out of its shoulder socket completely, from my memory, I replaced it and set the bone as best I could. I cleaned and covered her small cuts with antiseptic salves. She also has a huge burn going from her shoulders to her rear, I had Yukino put medicine and cover it as best she could." Rufus sighed.

"She has lost a lot of blood from the wound from her side, if you didn't find her when you did; she would have died a couple of hours ago. She is in stable condition for now, but I can't say much about her mental trauma. She must have endured a lot today, and that is going to take a toll on her emotionally." Rogue and Sting took in the information, they were both relieved that she was going to be alright in a physical sense, but that still didn't answer the question as to why her scent was familiar not only to Rogue but to Sting as well.

As if the memory make mage could read their mind's he continued.

"The reason why her scent is familiar to you both is because she is Lucy Heartfillia from Fairy Tail, and the reason I asked if you knew who did this to her, is because I'm sure Fairy Tail is going to want revenge for the torment they put this woman through, if my memory serves me right." Rufus hesitated as he tried to form the best possible way to explain the last and one of the most crucial bits of information. The twin dragons watched as Yukino and Rufus exchanged a glance. The later sighed as he got ready to tell them their final discovery.

"Not only was Lucy beaten and tortured, but indicating from the blood Yukino discovered coming from her nether region, she might have been raped as well." Rogue and Sting both let the last bit of information sink in.

This was Fairy Tail's celestial spirit mage they were talking about.

Not only was she a valued member of Fairy Tail, but she was  _Natsu Dragneel's_ best friend and partner.

Oh, yes. The man who did this to her was definitely in for it when Fairy Tail finds out.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter was beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost. Check out her work! It's awesome! :D**

**WARNING:  Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

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**CHAPTER 3**

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The wooden floorboards crackled and groaned as he paced through the guild leaving a trail of fire in his wake. Smoke began to billow while the flames started to rise in the crowded guild hall for the third time that day. The raven haired ice make mage slammed his hands down on the bar while he pushed himself out of his seat to fling himself at the irate Fire Dragon Slayer, effectively tackling him to the ground while Juvia quickly doused the flaming wood floor with her water magic.

"Would you stop tryin' to burn down the guild, you walking fire hazard!?" The ice make mage groaned while he forced himself up from the drenched floor, water dripped from his hair and down his now bare chest.

_Huh, when did he take off his shirt?_

Gray ignored the water mage's squeals of joy as he picked up his discarded clothing and started to dry his torso. He was starting to get real tired of playing the guild's firefighter today.

The ice make mage definitely wouldn't be lying if he said he was ready for their celestial maiden to come back from her missions. Natsu had been getting on everyone's last damn nerve for the past three days while waiting for her to return home.

Honestly, everyone was worried she wouldn't even have a guild to come back to if she makes the fire breather wait any longer. Natsu was already on the verge of spontaneously combusting and reducing the whole guild to a pile ash the longer he was forced to sit and wait.

"Lucy should have been back by now, I knew it was a stupid idea to let her go by herself, she's my partner and I should be with her!" Natsu whined as he sat cross-legged on the floor and huffed out a stream of smoke from his nose. Gray grit his teeth as he balled his hand into a fist, ready to punch the fire out of the flaming idiot, but an armor-clad hand beat him to it.

Erza pulled Natsu from the ground then sent a punch straight to his gut which succeeded in knocking him out cold. Gray snickered as he watched the redhead drag the slayer to a nearby table and deposit his unconscious body in an empty chair before turning back to Gray with a frown.

"I agree that it's a bit off that Lucy hasn't made it back yet. She should have returned sometime yesterday." Erza's concern was laced within her voice. At the time, the scarlet haired beauty had thought it was a wonderful idea when Lucy brought up going on a couple of easy solo missions so she could pay her rent a few months in advance. She supported her decision and made sure to keep Natsu in line when he kept trying to sneak off to follow her.

The requip user also knew that taking a solo mission would be a great way for Lucy to get some time to herself and out of her room for a change. After all, she was a strong mage and there wasn't a reason not to let her go.

However, Erza was starting to regret not sending Lucy off with at least a mini communication lacrima just in case she did happen to run into trouble. The redhead had figured since the request location wasn't that far from Magnolia, the blonde would be back within two days at most. She had started to worry when the day Lucy was supposed to return had come and passed with no sign of the blonde in sight. Then Erza's worry intensified as every hour passed during day three and Lucy didn't walk through the guild's double doors.

Gray put his hand on Erza's shoulder, bringing her back to reality and away from her distressed thoughts. Though the ice wielder didn't show it the same way, he was just as concerned about Lucy not returning home as the rest of Team Natsu.

The blonde had nestled her way into his heart and claimed a tiny spot just for herself, making Gray think of the celestial mage as a younger sibling. He knew Lucy was perfectly capable of handling herself, as long as she had her spirits by her side. Plus, he trusted Loke to protect her as well.

However, Gray couldn't help the nagging thought that something was very, very wrong. Lucy's behavior had been distant and unsettling the past few weeks leading up until her departure, putting the guild on edge even more so about her delayed return.

Contrary to what Lucy may have thought, Fairy Tail was not as oblivious to her changing personality as she believed. In fact, Erza and Gray were one of the firsts to point out her odd behavior to Master Makarov after they had returned to Magnolia. The guild master had made a point to mention to everyone in the guild that Lucy had experienced a traumatic life-changing event.

Not everyone witnesses themselves die right in front of their very eyes, and that memory will be with their blonde nakama looming over her shoulder for the rest of her life. Master Makarov believed Lucy just needed time to heal and come to terms with her emotional trauma in her own way. If she wanted to tell them what was wrong, she would do so on her own terms.

Even though the master told everyone that the blonde was going through a difficult time in her life, a certain dragon slayer refused to believe that Lucy was anything other than her usual weirdo self. Of course, that's what he thought, until he got a glimpse of Lucy during one of her nightmare induced anxiety attacks.

Natsu had taken it upon himself to sneak into Lucy's apartment one night after they had got back from Crocus. Instead of one of her usual rants about coming into her apartment without permission, she had begun to completely freak out.

It was on that night, the fire dragon slayer really understood just how much emotional damage had been done to his best friend.

* * *

_The fire mage climbed through the unlocked window of Lucy's apartment just like he used to before they left for the Grand Magic Games. As soon as his feet hit the wood floor Natsu could hear the chaotic rhythm of Lucy's heart beating against her ribcage and could smell the tangy scent of salt in the air._

_Was Lucy crying in her sleep? Was she having a bad dream?_

_Natsu walked the short distance from the window to her bed then kneeled to look at her face. His heart dropped as he noticed the tears slipping past her closed eyes. He watched as the liquid trailed down her cheek to sink into the fabric of her pillow she was resting her head on._

_The male reached out to grab her shoulder, determined to wake her up, but as soon as the tips of his fingers brushed her bare flesh of her shoulder, she immediately jumped from the bed and let out a blood-curdling scream._

_Lucy's wide eyes, puffy and red from crying, roamed every part of her room before landing on Natsu's still form. His mind went blank as he lost the will to form words; the look of sheer terror had anything he was going to say catch in his throat before they could even leave his mouth. He watched her slowly move backwards until her back was flush against the adjacent wall._

_The blonde reached out and fumbled around the top of her desk and grabbed her whip unraveling it with a thump as the tip hit the floor. She was about to lash out at the bewildered fire mage when a bright flash of light indicated one of her spirits had opened a gate on their own._

_Natsu watched on in shock and confusion as Loke grabbed Lucy's wrist to keep her from using her whip. She screeched and fought against his hold when he picked her up and moved to sit on the bed, cradling her now sobbing form._

_"Shhhhh, Lucy it was just a nightmare, you are safe. No one is trying to hurt you- Natsu for fucks sake, turn on a damn light!" The spirit yelled as he tried to calm the frightened and struggling girl._

_The salmon haired male snapped out of his daze then wasted no time as he fumbled to the wall and flipped on the switch. Light immediately flooded the small bedroom causing Lucy blinked back tears. The light stung her sensitive eyes as they tried to adjust to the unwelcome brightness._

_Natsu took notice of how her heart beat started to calm, slowly return to its normal rate. What the hell just happened? He had never had Luce react that way to his presence before, If Loke didn't intervene, she would have actually lashed out at him with her whip. Natsu looked from the zodiac leader to the stellar mage's shaking body. She coward into his chest as he rocked her back and forth while stroking her hair in an attempt to sooth her._

_"I'm sorry, Luce. I didn't mean to scare ya." Natsu rubbed the back of his neck while he tried to make sense out of what was going on around him. He couldn't help but take in the state of her apartment._

_Her clothes, which were usually hanging in her closet or neatly folded in her dresser, were scattered haphazardly across the bedroom floor. Used dishes remained on the kitchen table, counter, and nightstand instead of being washed and put back in their rightful place._

_The once tidy and pristine desk that held some of Lucy's most precious treasures was littered with an array of used tissues and loose paper. The fire dragon slayer had never seen her apartment look so messy, if it wasn't for the obvious fact that a woman lived here, Natsu could have mistaken it for his and Happy's own home._

_That last thought sent a shiver of disgust down his spine; Yeah, something is definitely wrong with Lucy. Natsu looked back to the bed as he finished scrutinizing everything that was off in the small bedroom._

_Natsu couldn't recall ever seeing Lucy look so broken in all the time that he had known her. He felt a sharp pain in his chest as he watched the blonde cling to Loke in desperation as if she was afraid to let go, then he would vanish back into the spirit realm. That dream must have gotten to her pretty bad, Natsu guessed._

_"Natsu, can you please leave? I have to make sure my princess gets back to bed, and it could take a while." Loke gave him a pointed look before mouthing 'I'll explain later.' Natsu only nodded and gave his best friend one last look before jumping out of the still open window._

* * *

Loke had appeared out of his celestial gate the very next day and pinned Natsu against one of the guild hall pillars in front of everyone, threatening the pinkette that if he ever startled his princess out of one of her nightmares like that ever again he wouldn't stop her from using her whip like he did last night.

When the slayer promised that he wouldn't ever do that again the spirit released him from his hold. He straightened his glasses then explained how Lucy had been having horrible nightmares that were starting to do damage not only emotionally, but physically. The guild listened intently as the lion zodiac carried on, letting the guild know just how severe her trauma was.

Since that night, Natsu had been welcomed into the cruel reality that his best friend was in a state of depression. His mind was opened to the severity of exactly what witnessing her own death did to Lucy.

The fire dragon slayer had been there when Future Rogue was fully intent on killing the present Lucy to keep her from shutting the Eclipse Gate. He had witnessed the blonde's future counterpart jump in front of the future shadow dragon slayer's attack just in time to take the fatal hit for herself, something that shocked everyone that was in the vicinity.

He had an uncomfortable feeling of dread wash over him as he recalled his reaction to future Lucy's death. He couldn't even begin to imagine the sea of emotion his best friend went through as she held her future self's bleeding body during her final moments alive.

No, not Natsu or anyone else in the guild could imagine what it felt like to watch the light slowly dim from in your very own eyes as they slipped from the world of the living. So, it was with that thought in mind that everyone decided to tread lightly on the subject of the Eclipse incident from a few weeks ago while still doing their best to be there and support Lucy without letting on that they knew exactly what was wrong with her.

"Alright brats, listen up! If Lucy does not return in the next day, I will be sending the rest of team Natsu to search for her, but until then, we will have faith that our nakama is safe and just taking her time to recover!" Makarov jumped up on to the bar while addressing his concerned children. He raised a glass in the air as he spoke.

"Fairy Tail will always have faith and trust in theirnakama."

* * *

Sun spilled through the slits of the closed blinds of the infirmary windows, waking Yukino from her not so deep sleep. When Rufus had declared the blonde to be in stable condition after checking her over once more, everyone had decided to retreat to their own rooms for the night.

The silver haired mage, however, had decided to spend the night in the infirmary just in case. She was worried their blonde guest might wake up in an unfamiliar place with no one around to help if she needed help going to the bathroom or needed a drink of water. Not only would she be waking up in a different place, she would have a lot of questions for them, as much as they had questions for her.

Rogue had mentioned that he came across the bandits already beaten in a field that looked like it had been destroyed by an invisible force. Even though the silverette didn't say anything about it out loud, she had been wondering if Lucy was the one to take out the entire group of bandits. Something that would be an amazing accomplishment since the mission Rogue took was classified as an S-class request.

Of course, there was a lot of information missing out of the story than just the vague details the shadow dragon slayer gave and the assumptions Yukino had. But still, she couldn't help the itch to learn the truth about what had happened to the bandits and to Lucy.

The silver haired maiden groaned as she felt the familiar pop of her back when she sat up on the infirmary mattress. She stretched her stiff muscles while she kicked her legs off the side of the bed. Though it wasn't terrible, the bed was way too soft for her liking.

She stood letting herself twist around to relieve the tension in her body from the night of rest. Yawning, the silver haired woman shuffled to the infirmary's door leading into the hallway, but stopped right before she went to grab the handle when she heard whispers on the other side of the door. She leaned a little closer trying to decipher who was talking but nearly jumped out of her own skin when she heard someone speak up from behind her.

"It's just Sting and Rufus trying to decide whether or not they should wait until the fairy wakes up to contact Fairy Tail." The ebony haired male said as he emerged from the dark shadow that evaded the sunlight that had been spilling from the windows.

An eyebrow twitched in amusement on the shadow mage's otherwise impassive face as he watched his silver haired guildmate jump. He would never get tired of scaring her. It was way too easy, and it helped to elevate his somewhat agitated mood.

"Rogue! I swear you want to give me a heart attack, why do you always have to sneak up on me like that!?" Yukino struggled to keep her voice down as she gave the shadow dragon slayer a disapproving glare. Even though they had got to know each other a little better since the Grand Magic Games, the silver haired woman still had a hard time deciphering Rogue's personality. He was usually very calm and collected and was never one to jump the gun while on a mission.

Yes, the red-eyed man was definitely an enigma to her, though she was starting to think he really did find it amusing how startled she gets when he sneaks up on her.

The dragon slayer shrugged at Yukino nonchalantly disregarding her reprimand of his reclusive ways. She puffed her cheeks out while she turned her nose up at him before he made his way over to the sleeping occupant of the room. Rogue looked over the blonde's broken form, taking in what a remarkable job their own celestial mage did at cleaning her despite having to be gentle not to jostle her around too much.

It's really quite amazing what a clean washcloth and new clothes could do to a person.

Rogue bent down to scrutinize the blondes' bruised face that was adorned with various small cuts and scrapes. Even with her unique aroma diluted by the alcohol, antiseptics and old blood, it was still compelling him to her, and that irked him in a wrong way.

He didn't have the slightest clue of who she was, except she was Fairy Tail's Celestial mage and Natsu's partner. So why did her scent give him a sense of calm and familiarity that he had never felt before? He didn't get this type of familiarity from her when they had met at the Grand Magic Games, so why now?

Rogue had never had a desire to get close to people. It's just by pure chance that he was able to meet Sting, Lector, and Frosch. Though he didn't mind being around people, he didn't necessarily like being attached to too many people.

Though just because he didn't like being close in an emotional way, didn't mean that he was by any means heartless. When he had felt the pull of her scent lead him down that abandoned pathway, he had been perplexed on exactly who this blonde was. He had thought her scent was just familiar and he had remembered it from the past, he was so caught up in keeping her alive, that he didn't notice that her aroma was creating a pulling effect.

_A very, very annoying pulling effect._

So, who exactly was this dirty beat up fairy? And how did she end up on the same pathway just fifteen minutes away from the destroyed field with the beaten criminals? Surely, she couldn't be the one that had taken out the entirety of the bandits?

Thinking back to the Grand Magic Games the shadow dragon slayer vaguely remembered how the blonde fairy had lost her first battle, then in her second match Minerva had beat her to the severity of putting her in the GMG infirmary. So, no, Rogue didn't believe that Lucy was the one to take out the bandits that were considered as an S-class mission.

There was just no way.

Rogue straightened himself and turned away from the sleeping fairy when he heard the soft clicks of a doorknob being turned. The infirmary door swung open to reveal both a bewildered Rufus and a jubilant Sting.

The memory make mage gave Rogue a perplexed sideways glance through his mask as he noticed the proximity between he and his patient while Sting continued to talk in as much of a whisper as he possibly could- which of course wasn't a whisper at all.

"Okay, so we have decided to wait until Blondie here wakes up to contact Fairy Tail, That way we can get some more information from her before we have a guild full of worried Fairies destroying the place." Sting cringed as he said the last part; yeah it would not be good to have the chaotic Fairy Tail mages rampaging through their guild. Rogue only gave an affirmative nod before watching Yukino walk into the hallway to excuse herself to take a shower.

The shadow mage moved further away from the bed when Rufus began to check over the sleeping woman's vitals and her injuries to make sure nothing had changed over the course of the night. Rogue was just about to make his escape back into the shadows to find Frosch when Sting stopped him by giving him a rough pat him on the back.

"So, whatcha' doin' in here, first thing in the morning? We missed ya' for breakfast. Who would have thought you were just visiting our little fairy guest?" The white dragon slayer grinned as he slung his arm over Rogue's shoulder. The ebony haired slayer quickly dislodged Sting's arm before giving him a low growl.

He was seriously not in the mood today for Sting's playful accusations.

"Nothing. I'm going to go find Frosch." Rogue threw up his hand in a lazy dismissal as both Sting and Rufus watched with mild amusement as the darker haired slayer made his exit out of the infirmary.

Rogue sighed in relief when he felt he was far enough away from Rufus and Sting's questioning eyes. He honestly didn't know why he skipped breakfast and went straight to the infirmary to check on the fairy, his actions even baffled his own self-, so he couldn't answer Sting's question.

Rogue glanced back at the door to the infirmary, the same room where all their questions waited to be answered in the form of an unconscious blonde woman.

Why did Rogue have a very strong feeling that things around Sabertooth were going to get a bit more interesting than usual?


	4. Chapter Four

**WARNING: Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**This chapter is Beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should go check them out!**

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**CHAPTER 4**

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"I cannot recall a time in the past where Rogue was this interested in another person outside of our guild, let alone a woman. I will remember this." Rufus exchanged an amused glance with Sting while making his way around the infirmary to get a few bandages and salves before he settled himself in a chair by the sleeping celestial mage.

Sting observed as Rufus lifted the pale pink T-shirt that Yukino had managed to somehow put on the woman the night before. The memory make mage was careful as he pushed the clothing up to where it was sitting just below her well-endowed chest, enough to reveal her burnt and bruised flesh. Both pairs of eyes roamed over the exposed skin, taking in every scrape, cut, burn, and bruise and then moved to where Rufus had covered her stitched wound with a huge amount of gauze and tape.

With gentle ease, Rufus peeled the used bandage back to reveal Lucy's burnt and stitched flesh. The edges of the stitch job puckered a bright angry red while the outer part bubbled and blistered. Sting's eyes widened marginally while he took in the massive amount of damage. He knew it was bad from what Rufus had told them last night after evaluating her, but with the masked male and Yukino working over Lucy's body, the blonde slayer wasn't able to get a good look for himself when she was first brought in last night.

The sight of the blonde female's porcelain skin tainted with the evidence of her torture made the Sabertooth master clinch his fist together in anger. Though she was not a part of his own guild, Sting still felt camaraderie of sorts with the celestial mage.

If it wasn't for Fairy Tail, Sabertooth would probably still be stuck in the dark depressing pit it was in before the GMG. He owed Fairy Tail a lot, so Sting figured that taking care of this fairy the same way he would a guild member was the least he could do to show his gratitude and respect to both Natsu and Fairy Tail.

The white dragon slayer watched Rufus as he finished his task of putting the antiseptic salve on the fairy's stitching. Rufus fumbled to put the rest of the salve on then moved to grab the bandages. He lightly pressed the gauze to her side and taped it as gently as he could while trying to avoid any burnt skin.

The blonde male was brought out of his thoughts when he heard one of the room's occupants heart beat start to pound at an irregular and fast rhythm. A whimper barely loud enough for Sting to hear tumbled from the blonde celestial mage's open mouth causing Rufus to freeze as he stopped checking over her body.

The female started tossing her head from side to side as the hand on her good arm balled into a fist to grip the sheets of the bedding. Tears had begun to leak from her eyes while her body started to struggle desperately on the infirmary's small mattress. Rufus looked toward Sting who stood shocked and wide eyed.

"Sting, you have to get Yukino now! Lucy might wake up in a daze thinking that she is still in danger, and her waking up in a room with only men is not going to go over well if what we think happened to her is true!" The memory make mage tried his best to hold the woman down gently so she didn't bust her stitches open or injure herself more.

Sting barely had enough time to swing the infirmary door wide open to yell out for Yukino before the blonde's back arched off the bed while a piercing scream ripped passed her pale lips.

The high-pitched sound bounced off the infirmary walls and then made its way throughout the startled guild.

* * *

_Everything was dark. So very, very dark. Lucy felt like she had been stumbling in the abyss for an eternity. No matter which way she went, or how much she cried or screamed, she was stuck in the never-ending sea of darkness._

_This was not the type of darkness that the night sky created the blonde had grown to love, it was not the night that felt calming and soothing to her as she would look up and see her beloved stars shining down on her._

_This was the type darkness that could drive someone to the brink of insanity. No matter how much she strained her eyes, there was nothing but ink black. It didn't matter if she closed her eyes or kept them open, it all looked the same._

_Anxiety was forever present as the frightened celestial mage drifted through the never-ending abyss. Dread had washed over her and filled her heart to the brim, making it a permanent home._

_But she wasn't alone in the darkness; she had realized that early on with every brush of a small tendril against her skin as the tangible darkness made her jump in panic from unseen fright._

_**He** _ _had created this hell for the very purpose of torturing her already abused mind. This was_ _**his element** _ _, and this was where_ _**he thrived** _ _. He had made a home in the small darkness that resides in her subconscious, and had used that tiniest fraction as a window of opportunity to plunge into her deepest fears, and recreated them in a reality all their own._

_His inconsistent timing made it impossible for her to know when he would make his presence known. The feeling of being prey sent wave upon wave of uneasiness through her shaken body. Lucy collapsed to the pitch ground and curled into a ball; she felt weak and tired and she couldn't walk around aimlessly forever. She pushed her hands to her ears when she heard his crazed psychotic laughter echo through the never-ending darkness, the sound was deafening as if it honed in on her balled-up form._

_"You're so weak. Just look at you. Absolutely pathetic. Are you just going to lie on the ground like a wounded animal? No wonder you were raped by such a lousy excuse for a bandit." Lucy pulled at her hair and tucked her chin into her knees tighter while the voice gravitated closer to her until she could practically feel his hot breath on the shell of her ear._

_The blonde jolted up and scurried forward to try and escape his looming presence, but when she tried to crawl just an inch further, her body was forced to the ground. A sob escaped the blonde's pink lips when she felt the invisible weight of a foot pressing down on her back._

_Lucy looked up and over her shoulder to see a terrifying scarlet iris staring down at her through the pink darkness that surrounded her. Her breathing hitched as her heart raced against the inside of her ribcage. The hatred and loathing she saw in his one eye was enough to make her turn away from the only thing she was able to see in the blackness._

_"Why do you insist on torturing me!?" Her question was met with what felt like a heel digging into her shoulder blade, causing the blonde to scream as the pain ripped through her body. After a few seconds, she felt the weight slowly lessen then be removed completely from her back._

_Lucy allowed a sigh of relief to pass her lips as the pain faded. However, the relief she had craved was short lived as it was replaced with another surge of agony when she heard a sickening pop ring through the darkness. The blonde felt her ankle snapped from an unknown force causing Lucy to thrash back and forth as the pain shot from her ankle and up her leg, her shriek echoing just like the pop before it._

_"I don't have to answer questions from a weakling like you. But, I guess I can indulge you just this once. After all, what kind of host would I be if I didn't let my only company know the reason for their exquisite torture?" Lucy felt the tears sting her eyes while she tried to make sense of the monster's words._

_"It's your fault I didn't succeed in my plan, so I forced some of my shadows to cling to you, as a means of torture for the rest of your pathetic life! Isn't it lovely!?" Lucy curled in on herself as his cruel laughter invaded her ears. The blonde pulled at her hair as she silently begged for any deity that was listening or watching over her to help because at this rate she really was going to go insane._

* * *

The silver haired celestial mage scrubbed herself while the hot water cascaded down her body helped to relax her aching muscles. Steam rose to the ceiling as the scalding water rushed from the shower head, creating a humid atmosphere while she washed herself clean from the night before.

As much as she wanted to stay with her fellow celestial key holder during the night time, Yukino really didn't want to sleep on those horrible infirmary mattresses ever again. She dipped her head back let the water wash away the lingering suds of shampoo down her body along with the fragrant body wash before it twirled around her feet before inevitably swirling down the drain.

The stellar mage reached down and twisted the knobs on the shower until the water ceased to flow before pulling back the curtain while she braced herself for the gust of cool air that would inevitable fill the surrounding air. She stepped out from the shower, quickly fumbling to grab her favorite fluffy blue towel from its home on the small hook beside the curtain. Yukino felt her skin rise from the chill while she quickly flipped her short silver hair back and forth before using the towel to dry it the rest of the way. Once she was certain her hair was just mildly damp instead of sopping wet, she secured the towel around her petite curvy body and emerged from out of the bathroom.

She didn't want to take too much time to get ready so she settled for a light blue V-neck tank top and paired it with a simple white high-waist pencil skirt then slipped on some white flats. She made sure to grab her keys from the nightstand then slip them into one of the skirt's hidden pockets before making her way back into her bathroom.

The silverette hurriedly ran a brush through her knotted locks before she stopped to eye her cosmetics sitting on the counter. Deciding she didn't want to look completely as bad as she felt, she put on a small amount of eyeliner and lip-gloss before deeming herself ready to start the day.

The walk to the guild hall from her room in the girls housing area was relatively short and uneventful, however, she just couldn't keep her mind from wandering back to the blonde laid up in one of the infirmary's uncomfortable beds.

She let her mind whirl around while she walked into the bustling guild hall. People were scattered through the large area; some sitting at tables, others standing, but all looked to be completely normal. It's was so amazing to see how far Sabertooth had come in just a month's time. The celestial maiden couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face as she watched her guild mates interact with one another.

Yukino decided she would just get a small breakfast in before going back up the infirmary to check up on Lucy.

Ever since the GMG and Eclipse Gate disaster, Yukino had come to respect and adore the blonde celestial mage, even more so then when she was younger. She had read articles from Sorcery Weekly about the 'Lucy from Fairy Tail' before she disappeared with a lot of the other members on Tenrou Island seven long years ago.

The silverette always hoped that they would return to Fairy Tail again. In fact, the silver haired woman held so much respect for Lucy that she even came to believe that the blonde was destined to be the greatest celestial mage of their time. After all, she did have ten of the twelve Zodiacs at her side. So, seeing the blonde in such a horrible state made the silverette want to be there with her to soothe her when she wakes up, just like Lucy did when Yukino felt she didn't deserve her celestial keys after being stripped and humiliated then kicked out of Sabertooth by Jiemma.

Yukino walked over to the bar and put in an order for herself before turning to scan the occupants of the guild. Once she found who she was looking for she wasted no time in walking over and pulling up a chair to sit.

"Good morning Orga, Frosch, Lector!" Yukino greeted while sending a playful glare over at the last remaining unnamed person at the table. Both Frosch and Lector jumped from the table into the silver haired woman's lap in happy welcome.

"Yuki, Rogue here won't tell us anything about the fairy. How is she doin'? She can't be doing all that bad if the all-mighty Sting Eucliffe is helping watch over her!" Lector put his paws up in the air with confidence as he said the last part. Leave it to the red exceed to cheer on the blonde slayer no matter what he is doing.

"Yuki, is Miss Fairy going to be okay?" Yukino hugged Frosch to her developed chest as tears matted the green exceeds fur. Yukino sent another glare- this time not so playful- over to the shadow slayer as he just stared blankly at the plate of untouched food that sat on the table in front of him.

Yukino felt a tick form on her forehead as she balled her fist; she was seriously considering knocking some sense back into the dazed shadow dragon slayer. However, the celestial maiden tossed that thought away when Rogue abruptly stood, causing the table to rock back and forth from his rapid movements.

Orga's fast reflexes were the only thing that kept table from toppling over completely, but that didn't stop the array of food and drink from falling to the pristine tile causing dishes shattered to the floor. The guilty slayer spun around and trained his predatory eyes on the staircase.

Just as Yukino and Orga were about to ask what was wrong, a horrifying scream echoed throughout the guildhall, causing people all over to either jump out of their seats or freeze in fear while everyone trained their attention in the same direction Rogue was facing.

"Frosch and Lector, stay here. Yukino, Sting is calling for you." The shadow dragon slayer managed to call out while he pushed himself toward the staircase with both Yukino and Orga following suit. The chilling cries started to get louder with every step they took while they made their way up the staircase.

The ebony haired man used the shadows of the hallway to gravitate himself faster to the infirmary room, but the small advantage only put him about five seconds earlier than the other two that rammed into his back when he came to a halt in the infirmary doorway.

"What the hell, Rogue!? MOVE!" Both Yukino and Orga tried to push past their stunned guild mate to see into the small infirmary.

"Sting, help me hold her down, she's going to bust open her stitches!" They heard Rufus yell when the group finally barreled through the opened infirmary door, pushing the statue of the ebony haired slayer out of the way. The three new occupants watched in horror as the white dragon slayer clung to the blonde female's kicking legs while the memory make mage tried to pin both Lucy arms to the bed while still trying to be as gentle as he could with her broken arm. Rufus took notice of the new additions in the room and thanked the heavens.

"Yukino, she's having a nightmare, you need to wake her up, please! Before she hurts herself even more!" The memory make mage practically begged when he noticed the oozing of a dark crimson spot forming underneath the pale pink shirt where the bandage on her abdomen covered the stitches. If they couldn't calm her down soon, she was going to rip her stitches out completely.

The silverette in question rushed to Rufus's side, taking Lucy's tossing head into her hands. The silver haired woman cupped the sides of Lucy's face and bent down to whisper in her ear, telling her everything was going to be okay and that she needed to wake up. The Sabertooth celestial mage couldn't help the tears as they slipped past her own eyes while she whispered soothing words to the blonde, none of which seemed to work.

Rogue couldn't push himself further into the room, no matter how many times he commanded his body to move, his muscles seemed to be locked into place. He was forced to watch his guild mates struggle to keep the celestial fairy down on the bed as she lashed out and cried in agony. His eyes were wide, and mouth slack jawed and at that particular moment, he didn't even care that his usual stoic expression had been replaced with one of shock and surprise.

The shadow mage had felt the strong presence of a familiar dark shadow magic before he even heard the horrific screams while he was down in the guild hall. He had nearly knocked the damn table over when his hair stood on end as the presence made its self known, which at that time he didn't have any idea the dark shadows were coming from the fairy in the infirmary. He honestly was just following the trail of darkness, and ended up right back in the infirmary, just like earlier this morning.

Rogue could sense the familiar shadows surrounding the terrified fairy's body as she violently tossed her head away from Yukino's grasp. Her puffy eyes clinched together as the tears still somehow managed to flow freely; she arched her back off the bed once more causing her broken arm to twist with a sickening pop. She let out another blood-curdling wail as she screamed and begged to be saved.

The ebony haired slayer knew those types of cries all too well. Her frantic shrieks and screams were the sounds of someone teetering on the brink of insanity, when they have completely lost all hope and succumb to the darkness. He had watched many of his enemies suffer the same exact fate as the broken fairy in front of him, it was one of the darker traits that his shadow magic could do to people if they couldn't control the darkness. The shadows would swallow them whole and leave nothing but an empty broken shell. But why were HIS shadows attacking this woman without his command, and why was he not able to call them back?

Rogue broke from his shock and stalked over to the bed and pushed Yukino's startled hands away to grab the fairy's face for himself. He focused as he tried to will the shadows from within the blonde, but even though they were obviously his shadow magic, he was not the one in control. Rogue moved one hand to her forehead and concentrated as he tried to force the defiant magic from the crying celestial mage's body.

"What are you doing!?" The Sabertooth celestial mage tried to reclaim her spot by Lucy's head but was stopped by her god slaying guild mate. Yukino tried to shove his large hand away from her but froze when the blonde's cries started to die down to only a whimper.

Everyone stood still as they watched Rogue withdrawal a minuscule tendril of a pitch-black shadow from the celestial mage's forehead. He willed it into a tiny ball in his hand then promptly shut his fist over the black sphere causing the shadow to dissipate into the air.

The blonde fairy proceeded to calm and remained in her unconscious state while the other occupants of the room stared at their resident shadow mage, who was still too focused on the hand that had dispersed the shadow magic to notice his guild mates looking at him.

"What the hell was that?" The guild master finally asked after a moment of silence had passed throughout the room. The blonde had no idea what he had just witnessed, but if he had to guess, his partner had just pulled a damn shadow from the blondie's head.

But that couldn't be right, Rogue had never once attacked the fairy, not that anyone could recall, anyway. So, how did Rogue's magic get there in the first place?

The ebony haired male looked just as shocked as everyone else when he removed his eyes from his hands to look up at Sting. The shock and disgust were evident in his eyes as he looked the white dragon slayer in the eye, it was apparent that he was just as clueless about what had happened as they were.

"I honestly don't know." Rogue said while he backed away from the unconscious fairy. The smell of blood reached both Sting and Rogue's nose when the memory make mage ran to the woman's side and lifted her shirt. The pale pink was now stained a dark crimson as he revealed the bloodied bandage.

Ruby eyes observed as Rufus removed the soaked gauze, causing the smell to increase tenfold and assault his senses. The flesh that was once sewed shut was now gaping open and mangled as if the stitch didn't pop at all, but her flesh had ripped itself, Rufus sighed as he got up to gather more supplies to once again clean and stitch the new wound.

The ebony haired male backed up even further away from the unconscious blonde until his back met the infirmary wall. He brought his hand back up to stare at it, as if it held all the answers he and everyone else wanted to know.

Why was he able to pull his own magic from the blonde? Was that why he was being pulled to her? And why was it he couldn't control it completely?

Somehow, and some way his shadows clung to the blonde celestial fairy without his command to do so, and that worried Rogue deeply.

* * *

**_I'll start replying to reviews here at the bottom to answer any questions you may have for me, so please feel free to leave a review! I love knowing that people are reading this! :)_ **


	5. Chapter Five

**WARNING: Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**This chapter is Beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should go check them out!**

**Check the bottom for information on my new story!**

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Chapter 5

* * *

"I.. I can't completely control the shadows within her.. Even though I am almost positive they are mine.." The shadow mage mumbled barely above a whisper as he removed his perplexed stare of horror from his hand.

It had taken a lot of control and willpower just to force a  _small_  amount of shadows from her body, something Rogue was not used to. He pressed his back firmly against the wall, letting it hold up his weight while he watched Rufus once again clean and stitch Lucy's mangled abdomen.

Rogue's head was spinning as his mind tried to formulate any possible way that he could imagine that would make his magic cling to the fairy and defy him. He had never had his shadows blatantly disobey him before so the thought of being out of control of his own element left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He was almost always in control of his magic. However, the shadows that lay dormant in the fairy's body were flat out refusing to obey him.

Even though he was upset and distraught, the ebony haired mage was relieved that he was able to pull out at least a small trace of foreign magic from her body, but it still pissed him off that he didn't know exactly how it had infiltrated the fairy's fragile form in the first place.

Though Rogue whispered to himself, Sting's enhanced hearing managed to catch his partner's stunned words as they flowed from his distraught lips. The saber's guild master turned from watching Rufus work to gawk at Rogue, his eyes honing in on his partner's troubled face. The blonde-haired slayer couldn't help but wonder what he even meant, how could the shadows be his, but not be able to control them? Is it even possible for magic to rebel from its wielder? Was that even possible?

Of course, Sting had sensed the dark presence that was radiating off Blondie right before she started to completely flip shit, but he was so vigilantly caught up in keeping her still that he didn't even notice that it was, in fact, Rogue's shadow magic that was surrounding her. Though, the magic was obviously much darker than his partner's usual shadows.

The blonde male sighed as he walked over to the very upset shadow dragon slayer.

"You mean to tell me somehow this fairy has your magic in her, but you don't know how it got there, or how to get it out? Your shadow magic can kill her if they stay in her for too long, Rogue. This is some serious shit, man. We can't just let her suffer like that." Sting spoke in an unusually calm tone as he looked back to the already suffering blonde. It was just cruel that on top of her being used and beaten, she was also being plagued by Rogue's shadow magic.

"Do you think Lucy would be better if Rogue stayed away from her?" The silver haired mage stepped around the bed to face both dragon slayers while she fiddled with her skirt. Maybe if Rogue was out of Lucy's general vicinity, she wouldn't be affected by his magic?

"It's not that simple. These shadows were lying dormant in her body before I even found her." Rogue pushed his hand into his ebony hair while he leaned his head back to rest against the wall. He was starting to get a migraine from trying to process and put all the pieces of information together.

He had realized while running to the infirmary that the pull he felt toward the blonde fairy was  **his own**  shadow magic that had been lying dormant her body. Now that the haze had been lifted, Rogue could feel his foreign magic running through her. He knew it had to be slowly driving her to insanity every time she slept; it's a wonder how she was even able to still sleep right now after an attack like that.

"I have no memory of anything every happening of this sort before. You have never really been in contact with this woman except a handful of times. Do you have any idea why your magic would be residing in her?" Rufus had finished patching Lucy back up and turned to face the other occupants of the room while they tried to make sense of the situation. The shadow slayer just shook his head lightly to let Rufus know that he didn't have an answer yet, he was just as jumbled up as the rest of them.

Yukino twisted her hands through her skirt as she let her memories from the Eclipse Gate disaster filtered back into the front of her mind. When she and Lucy had worked together to summon the entirety of the Zodiac spirits out to try and bring down the gate, Lucy did mention beforehand that they did have an altercation with Rogue from the future. Maybe their Rogue didn't do anything to Lucy, but that Rogue from the future did something to her?

The Sabertooth's celestial mage couldn't help but feel pity for the blonde, she must have had such a terrible time trying to come to terms with having to see herself pass away. Then on top of that to be used, beaten and now tortured by the same magic that killed her, as well? It was almost too much for Yukino to bare, let alone even imagine the emotional roller coaster Lucy will be on once she wakes.

The silverette clinched her skirt tighter, letting the clothing slip through her fingers while the overwhelming desire to be there for Lucy and help her through the inevitable rough times in her rapid approaching future rushed over her.

A bright golden glow radiated through the small infirmary room when a celestial gate appeared and opened on its own. In the blinding light of the gate, a spirit could be seen making its way from the celestial realm, his fiery orange mane glowed as the gate started to dissipate as soon as his feet hit the infirmary floor. He brushed off his well-tailored suit then pushed up his glasses as he took in the small infirmary room full of alerted eyes until his gaze landed on the shadow dragon slayer.

"Leo!" Yukino tried to reach out for his arm but was too late as his lithe form moved across the small expanse of the room at an incredible speed. Loke's arm glowed before his fist connected with the stunned slayer's face, the force of the blow causing Rogue's head to collide with the wall. The stone groaned against the impact as the ebony haired slayer removed his head from the crumpled and dented wall.

"What the hell was that for you damn spirit?" Rogue growled low in his chest whilst he got ready to call his shadows forward in retaliation, but paused for a brief moment when Loke straightened himself up and looked him straight in the eye.

"I should have thanked you first for saving my princess, but seeing your face made me act without thought, and for that I am sorry." The lion spirit ignored the warning growls as he turned from the irate shadow dragon slayer to make his way to the sleeping fairy on the infirmary bed. Loke kneeled on the floor and rested his hand on her open palm.

Rogue clinched his fist together while he tried to keep his emotions in check, but was finding that hard to do when he had just been sucker-punched in the face, then apologized to. Sting, Rufus, Orga, and Yukino all looked from the dismissive spirit to the fuming slayer and couldn't help but burst into laughter, the tension seemed to melt away when the shadow mage began to bottle his emotions back up. It was always hilarious to see the emotion on Rogue's otherwise stoic face. The three stopped laughing when Loke started to speak up again.

"I just couldn't control myself. I know you aren't him and you're the one who saved my princess, but I still hate that you are essentially the reason she has been suffering from emotional trauma." Loke remained kneeling by the unconscious celestial mage while he addressed Rogue's earlier question. The spirit rubbed his hand along the side of Lucy's face as he recalled how careless he had been yesterday.

He should have never taken his eyes off the bandits, maybe if he had been paying attention none of this would have had to happen, maybe Lucy would have made it safe back to Magnolia. Maybe she wouldn't have been in this bed, hurt and broken.

At first, Loke had been debating on popping into Fairy Tail to let them know what had happened to Lucy and to also let them know of her whereabouts before they sent out search parties looking for her. However, he had felt her sudden distress and decided to forgo his earlier plan to instead pop into the Saber's guild to check on her for himself, first.

He let his arm drop from her face to fall back to his side, how could he let this happen to his loving key holder? After everything she did to get him back into the celestial spirit realm, he still wasn't able to protect her like he wanted to.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Rogue glared at the back of the lion spirits head as he tried to control his still raging temper. How was he responsible for this fairy's emotional trauma? If anything, the person who did this to her was more at fault then him, hell if he hadn't had been in the right place at the right time, she would be dead at this very moment.

So where does this spirit come off saying he is her problem? Sure, she had his magic in her body, but he was not responsible for that what so ever. Even though he wanted to get it out of her, he didn't know how it got there.

Is that what he was referring to? Did he know something about his magic in her body that they didn't? Rogue was about to voice his question out loud but shut his mouth when the lion continued to speak.

"Listen, Lucy has been having a hard time since she watched herself be killed by future Rogue. She has been having horrible nightmares ever since that day, and they only seem to be getting worse. I usually come out on my own magic to calm her down, but it seems you had it under control. What exactly was that that you removed from her?" The lion spirit turned to face the dragon slayer. Loke watched as the realization hit Rogue in the face and couldn't help but wonder just exactly what was going on in his head at the moment.

Rogue was taken aback as the missing pieces fell into place. Sure, he himself had never done anything to the blonde fairy, but his future self had tried to kill her, actually he had basically succeeded except the Lucy he killed was the one from the future as well.

The shadows he felt in her body were his, but they also weren't, taking into consideration Rogue was nothing like his future self. The dragon slayer from the future had been cruel and malice in his actions, making the shadows in the fairy darker, something Rogue wasn't used to controlling.

"So, the shadows in Blondie are most likely what is causing her to have nightmares, right Rogue?" Sting yawned from across the room, causing Loke's head to jerk when his gaze shifted from Rogue to Sting. The magic he pulled from Lucy was Rogue's shadows?

So, this whole time, Lucy had actually had Rogue's magic in her… But that didn't exactly make sense. Wouldn't someone be able to tell that she was radiating a new type of magic from her body? Loke groaned as he rubbed his temples above his glasses, why did everything have to be so damn complicated all the time?

'So you mean to tell me that future Rogue has forced his magic into her somehow, and that's why she is having nightmares? Well, that's great. Then you can just remove it from her, right?" Loke asked as his green eyes scanned the room, taking in the awkward glances from the occupants before looking into Rogue's defiant scarlet eyes. Tension started to build when the silence grew, and his question drifted off without an answer. The leader of the zodiac moved from his position next to the bed and stalked his way back over to the shadow dragon slayer, only stopping when he was standing a foot away from Rogue.

"Let me ask again, because obviously, no one heard me. You can remove it, right?" The lion spirit crossed his arms while he watched the dragon slayer's eye narrow as a tick appeared on his temple. The other four occupants slowly back away from the two when the threatening magic power in the room started to rise and swirl around inside the small vicinity causing them to sweat-drop as Loke's arm started to glow while Rogue's shadows surrounded them.

"No. I can't, they are my shadows, but they are not in my control." Rogue said as he brought his shadowed covered arms up ready to defend if need be, his black hair fluttered around his face as magical power steadily started to rise causing the other four mage's hair to stand on end.

However, the magic halted then dissipated completely when a small whimper sounded from the other side of the room, almost drowned out by the earlier tension. Loke let his arm return to normal while he turned to face the direction the small whimper had come from.

A grin had started to form on his lips as he was about to start spouting affectionate nonsense, but stopped when his face fell completely while shock overtook him as he took in Lucy's form, she looked like she was about to shrink in on herself as she tried her best to cower away, her eyes were locked on to the man Loke had been facing just a second ago.

Rogue let his magic die down slowly when the sound of soft whimpering met his ears. His eyes moved from the once hostile lion as he turned to the now trembling blonde propped up on the infirmary bed. Rogue listened to her heart slam forcefully against her ribcage for the second time that day. Her eyes, wide and overflowing with tears stared straight at him while she tried to clumsily scoot to the furthest side of the bed away from him.

Yukino quickly moved to the other side of the bed to keep the blonde from hurting herself as she struggled to move. Lucy's face was contorted into a mix of pain and terror as her eyes locked onto the shadow dragon slayer's crimson orbs.

The shadow mage felt his heart sink when he looked into her teary brown gaze and took notice of how the light was void from her eyes. No, she wasn't terrified from the magic pressure he and her spirit had been displaying, her look of complete terror was completely focused on him and him alone- and that made Rogue feel a jolt in his own chest when he watched her struggle to move further away from him.

"Lucy…" Loke stretched his hand out to her while he moved forward to sit on the side of the bed, Lucy flinched back when his hand neared her uninjured arm. The spirit hesitated, then slowly moved his hand away from her, rejection shot across his face.

"Please… I just... I don't want to be touched, not right now." The blonde fairy whispered not taking her eyes away from Rogue, Loke nodded noticing her scrutiny of the shadow dragon slayer, then moved in front of her to where the ebony haired mage was out of her line of sight and her gaze was forced on him instead. She immediately dropped her gaze to the bed as her shoulders shook uncontrollably.

"Lucy, please look at me." Loke begged as while watched her shoulders shake when she tried to hold back tears. Yukino silently gestured for all the men to leave the room, in hopes of giving the blonde a little bit of privacy. Maybe if all these men were gone, she would open up a little.

Orga, Rufus, and Sting nodded and made their way to the exit, Sting gave Yukino one last pointed look before making his exit.

The shadow mage, however, remained rooted in place while he watched the blonde fairy twist her fingers into the bed sheets as she tried to keep her heart-wrenching sobs to a minimum. He didn't really know how to comfort someone besides Frosch and it was frustrating him that he felt a need to go comfort the shaken celestial mage.

Just as he was about to walk forward, Yukino walked around the side of the bed and stood in front of him, blocking both his path and view to the blonde.

"Rogue, you need to leave. Please, she is scared of you." The saber female whispered to him, he looked over her shoulder once more at the fairy, the same small frail body that housed his dormant dark shadows, well dormant for the moment anyway.

His brows pulled together while a frown marred his face, dare he say that he was actually worried about the little fairy? He knew firsthand how damaging his shadows could be to people, and it worried him that not only where these shadows attacking her, but they were living in her.

"I will be back if I feel the shadows make an appearance again. Please try to figure out what happened last night." Rogue turned on his heels and made his way to the infirmary door. He took one last glance before slipping through the door frame, shutting the door behind him.

"Thank you." Lucy looked up from the sheets as she held in another small sob. She had wanted him to leave, to just to go away as soon as her eyes met his.

When Lucy had woken up, she had felt the all too familiar magical power from the shadow mage, however, there was a small difference this time, instead of them being in her dreams, they were right there in front of her, in reality.

The blonde had been completely petrified when she tried to sit up and turn only to be met with those piercing red eyes, her body had frozen while every sense in her being screamed for her to run, to get away from him, that he was very very dangerous, and he would hurt her.

Lucy had struggled until she felt a searing pain in her side and up her shoulder. The pain was an immediate reminder of the pathway where she had collapsed. Suddenly memories flowed through her conscious mind, replaying everything that had happened up until she collapsed. She clenched the side of her head with her good arm as the memories and his gaze became too much for her to handle.

She was about to scream out in frustration and insanity when she could feel someone trying to get close to her. Lucy felt horrible when she flinched away from Loke's outstretched hand, but she just couldn't, and didn't want to be touched. She was on the verge of snapping completely until Yukino had made everyone leave except her and Loke.

Lucy noticed as he lingered longer than the rest, almost intent on staying. She was extremely grateful when Yukino blocked his path and gaze from her making him leave the room as the others had. Lucy was brought back to reality when she felt a dip in the bed to her lower left side. She felt Yukino take her uninjured hand in her own and stroked her skin soothingly.

"Lucy, can you tell me what happened last night? Rogue found you on an abandoned pathway about fifteen minutes from a group of bandits. The same bandits that he went on an S-class mission to bring into custody." The blonde's head swung up, startling the silver haired woman at just how fast she sprung up. Lucy felt her head start to swim with all the new information.

Were the bandits really in custody?

**HE**  found her?

Had she technically completed an S-class mission?

How much did she miss while she was unconscious?

 

* * *

_Just another note. I had another idea for a new RoLu story. I wrote the first chapter and figured I would post it and see how it went. If it gets a pretty good response, I will continue it into a full-blown multi-chapter story. If you choose to read it (Just check my profile, the title is Habituation)_ _, **PLEASE READ THE WARNINGS!**_

**Thank you all!**


	6. Chapter Six

**WARNING: Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**This chapter is Beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should go check them out!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 6**

* * *

Lucy grasped the sheet that had settled down on her waist. The soft cotton slid across her burning and aching body when she pulled it up to use the thin material to shield herself from view. Even though the blonde knew that both the silver-haired woman and the lion spirit were the only ones looking at her, she couldn't help but feel like she was being observed by more than just the saber mage and orange haired spirit.

_She could just feel it._

She still had the sensation of being watched by him even though she personally witnessed the ebony haired mage vacate the area with her own two honey brown eyes. It was almost as if she could still feel him surrounding her- Like his presence was looming over her, watching every move she made even though he wasn't in the room.

The imaginary feeling made her feel physically sick.

The words from the dragon slayer of the future still echoed fresh through her mind as a crescendo of maniacal laughter causing anguish to rise in her throat like thick bile. Even the pure light from the sun radiating through the window wasn't enough to drive away the darkness that clawed at the back of the blonde's mind.

 _He_  had cursed her with his darkness; she could feel it now ever so slightly as if the foreign magic within her was a subtle reminder that even in the confines of her own mind she would never really have peace.

Everything started to click together to form an even bigger picture set out right in front of her. The nightmares, the anxiety, and the sleepless nights, they were all just a means of him toying with her.

Even though the celestial mage knew she was still reeling from the trauma of watching the blonde woman from the future fall victim to the lunatic shadow mage's bloodlust, she also knew that it was his fault she felt this way. Lucy felt her tears fall from her chocolate orbs as she came down from her fear induced high.

The blonde mage was no fool, she knew in both her mind and her heart that the present ebony haired slayer was not the man that was responsible for her traumatic nightmares, but she still couldn't seem to force herself to be around him even though she knew he was not the true source of her problems.

After all, the blonde fairy couldn't help but be terrified of him. The actual physical similarities between the present ebony haired male and future dragon king were scarce, but one similarity had remained the same in the form of an intimidating crimson colored iris.

The Rogue from her timelines visible eye had put so much anxious fear into her that she had almost believed she was still dreaming. Of course, that was until she noticed the obvious physical differences between the two shadow dragon slayers.

It became evident to the celestial maiden that this particular slayer was not the one that killed her; he wasn't the one that traps and tortures her in her own mind when she slipped into the world of unconscious dreaming.

"Princess, do you want me to tell Fairy Tail where you are and not to worry? I'm sure they will probably be sending out an unnecessary search party for you soon." The zodiac spirit questioned as he stood from the edge of the bed he had been occupying. The orange haired male's eyes shifted from his still distraught master to the other celestial key holder in the room.

"My princess was attacked by those horrible bandits, Virgo and I tried everything we could, but they were so strong, and we were outnumbered." Loke paused looking from the blonde woman's downcast face and back to Yukino. The zodiac leader clenched his fists letting the knuckles turn a stark white while he tried to keep his rage under control.

The male purposely chose to leave out the part of the story where Lucy was used and abused. The spirit just couldn't see it as right to tell his beloved key holder's personal information. If the blonde wanted to tell the silver haired woman what happened, then it was all up to her. Loke would not push his princess any further than what was necessary.

Lucy's spirits didn't have a choice, they could feel the anguish and pain Lucy was put through as the lightning mage defiled her, but the blonde did have a choice in who she wanted to know about it outside of her trusted spirits.

" Later, Lucy called Gemini out and made her way back to the camp where they did Urano Metria to take out the bandits. I don't really think she is up for much talking at the moment, Miss Yukino." The lion spirit rubbed the back of his head while he looked at his trembling master. He wanted so much to hold her and tell her everything was going to be okay and that her spirits were always going to be there for her. But he didn't want to overstep any boundaries again, not after she had flinched away from his touch when he tried earlier. It hurt the spirit deeply to know that the blonde fairy was terrified of being touched, even if it was intended to be of a soothing nature by someone that she trusts.

Oh, how Loke wanted to rip the bandits apart piece by piece for putting his princess- no his friend through this. The only solace the zodiac spirit could find in this situation was in the knowledge that the council had taken the men into custody. The thought of the men being locked away to rot was only a diminutive relief, though.

Concerned emerald eyes watched as the blonde stellar mage's shoulder started to shake violently while her small body withered on the mattress. He was about to move toward her to try and comfort her once more, but the silver-haired saber stepped in front of him.

"I understand Leo, but please let me try and help her first, I don't think being around men is going to help Lucy very much right now. If you want to help, go find Sting and tell him what you know and see if he would want you to go to Fairy Tail to inform them of the situation." The spirit grits his teeth while his gaze shifted from the silver-haired mage in front of him to his broken key holder.

Loke bit his bottom lip before letting out a long sigh while closing his eyes to turn away from both women. Even though he didn't want to leave Lucy's side, he knew what the silver haired tiger spoke was the truth.

There was no good he could do here if he couldn't even get close to the blonde without her flinching away. However, he could help by informing everyone of what happened to her, so she didn't have to relive the pain over again by telling it herself.

The zodiac leader moved to the door, giving his princess one last glance before making his way out into the hall.

* * *

Lucy's skin crawled when the memories of the following night flowed back into her all at once, she bit her lip as she felt the phantom of that filthy man's touch slither its way up her body.

The ghost of his callused hands raked across her exposed skin while she tried desperately to struggle her way from the imaginary grasp. The bitter aftertaste of dirt still lingered in her mouth as if she still had her face smashed into the ground while he defiled her.

The blonde felt dirty and unclean. Like not only her body, but she herself, was the very definition of disgusting filth.

_Trash_

_Filth_

_Useless_

_Whore_

The words bounced around inside her already confused and jumbled thoughts and sliced through the reoccurring images playing through her mind like a razor-sharp blade.

The blonde Fairy Tail mage held her head in her hand as her body shook from the overwhelming rush of vivid flashbacks.

She tried to pull her knees up, so she could hold herself but was reminded of the soreness in her lower half as well as her abdomen. Her entire core screamed in agony causing her to let out a sharply pained gasp.

Lucy's pain intensified when she jumped and recoiled out of reflex as she felt soft gentle hands press onto the outside of her uninjured shoulder.

The celestial maiden shut her eyes while a cluster of malice words sliced through her from the back of her mind yet again.

_You're so weak._

_Absolutely useless._

_What a disgrace._

_No one is going to ever want you._

_You let this happen to you._

_This was all your fault._

Lucy shook her head violently as each word viciously stabbed over and over again at the dam that held in her sanity together. Brown eyes snapped open when she felt those soft and gentle hands once again, this time on her own clenched palm that was twisted in her tangled and matted blonde hair.

Lucy looked up only to be met with another set of wide soft brown eyes. The blonde felt her grip slacken from her hair as Yukino helped her back to the center of the bed.

Every nerve ending lit up with even the slightest movement, sending jolts of agony through the blonde's already abused body. The steady rhythmic pulse of pain made the woman aware of just how badly her physical body was, the now dull aches were becoming even sharper and vigorous as her earlier adrenaline started to wane.

Lucy could feel as her wounds would stretch and pull as she lowered herself with the silver haired mage's help back down onto the plush softness of the mattress.

Yukino's usual soft features were tarnished with a bitter frown as she pretended not to notice Lucy's body flinch while she hesitantly helped her back into a comfortable position. The Sabertooth stellar mage carefully draped the plush blanket back over Lucy's body, hoping that the added heat would aid in ceasing the trembling of her body. The blonde let out a sharp gasp as pain shot through her pelvic area when she tried to shimmy herself lower into the blankets.

"You all know, don't you?", The silverette's hands faltered while her eyes widened as the bedridden woman bent her head allowing her golden bangs to fall and cover her eyes. Yukino sat on the edge of the mattress, she remained silent as she tossed Lucy's question around in her head.

"Know what, Lucy?" The saber tried to give foreign innocence with a soft smile, but it came out too forced. The silver-haired woman really didn't want to make the fairy upset or remember anything if she could prevent it, the blonde mage had been through so much and Yukino didn't want to add to the shame and pain her fellow stellar mage.

"Please, Yukino, I know someone cleaned me up.. There was a lot of blood down there, and I wasn't wearing a pad or tampon.. You know what happened. What they did to me. Don't you?" Lucy lifted her head, tear-stained cheeks quivered as she tried her best to look demanding while her puffy eyes locked on to Yukino's.

"Yes, I cleaned you as best I could, but there was so much dried blood everywhere. I am so sorry, Lucy!" Yukino felt tears form in her own eyes while she held onto Lucy's hand tighter. The blonde couldn't hold back any longer as she watched the Sabertooth female break down for her.

The thought that Yukino was trying to share her pain and be there for her meant the world to the Fairy Tail mage right now. She needed a friend to help get her over this hurdle and on to the next. Lucy ignored the throbbing ache in her side and back along with the pain in her pelvic region as she pushed herself up to crash into Yukino's soft body.

The Sabertooth member moved closer to where Lucy's head was able to lay comfortably on her shoulder while the Silverette gently wrapped her arms around the blonde while they both wept into the comfort of one another.

* * *

Rogue stalked to his room on the 4th floor of the guild building, hardly taking notice of other passing Saber members slinking away from him as he continued his trek. The slayer was too preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't even care to take notice of the rise of his own magic as small tendrils of black shadows danced around him.

The ebony haired mage was definitely frustrated with himself, no matter how much he put his calculations together, he couldn't devise an adequate tactic to remove the toxic magic from the blonde celestial mage.

The only thing he could come up with was being by her when the shadows would rise from dormancy and attack her again, but to do that he would need to stay close enough to her -and he has high doubts that she would let him do that.

Plus, Rogue didn't really want to devote all his time to being with some woman he barely knew.

So, that plan was tossed out the metaphorical window as soon as he thought of it. There had to be a different way of removing the shadows, he was just missing something- he knew it.

Rogue is well aware that the fairy's psyche had already taken hefty blows from his magic if what the lion spirit had told him was true. The ebony haired mage also knew that because of the circumstances she has been put in, their fairy guest was going to be even more mentally unstable now that she has awakened.

Though to be honest, the shadow dragon slayer was quite impressed that such a small- and relatively weak- woman was able to endure almost a whole month with his shadow magic residing in her. It made him wonder as to how she hadn't gone completely insane yet.

After all, from what he had deduced from the GMG the blonde partner of the fire dragon slayer was not physically strong. Be that as it may, maybe she had great willpower? Even if the blonde did have amazing willpower, the ebony haired male knew if he couldn't find a way to remove the rest of his future counterpart's magic from her that it was only a matter of time before she lost herself to insanity.

There was no denying it, the pull he felt toward that girl was his own shadows laying within dormancy, something that just didn't sit right with the dragon slayer.

Rogue growled as he felt like it was almost as if he was bonded to her now. His shadows defied him and surrounded her as if her body was where they belonged, and it made him feel betrayed by his very own magic.

Even though technically they were his shadows from the future, the fact remained they should still obey him as well!

Rogue sighed out a puff of air when he finally reached both his and Frosch's room. He could hear soft snores coming from the other side of the door as the green exceed slept peacefully waiting for the slayer to return.

The ebony haired male leaned against his door while letting a hand rake his long black bangs up and away from his forehead; he was really considering sliding into his bed and taking a nap as well.

After Rufus had declared the fairy in stable condition last night, Rogue had gone back to his room in hopes of getting some rest after the full day he had endured. However, it seemed that fate had a different plan for him. The slayer had tossed and turned for most of the night unable to get comfortable enough to fall asleep.

The overwhelming desire to be closer to that woman, to be by her side, had started to absolutely drive him crazy. The ebony haired slayer had stared at the ceiling for hours before finally deciding to go check on her. Which at that point in time he didn't know anything about his shadow magic being within her.

Rogue let the memory drift back to the back of his mind while he removed his back from the door. Not wanting to wake the sleeping exceed, the male dissolved his body into the shadows, so he could quietly slip underneath the crack of the doorway.

He silently reemerged in front of his full-sized bed, intent on getting some rest while Yukino dealt with the celestial mage. He would admit that he was curious to hear her story, and if he really wanted to, he could have left the infirmary then merged back with the shadows to go back into the room and hear it himself, but he was better than prying into someone else's business like that. Sting, the bonehead that he was, had always said it wasn't fair that the shadow mage had an awesome power that he took for granted.

Rogue bent to take off his boots, taking care to place them at the end of the bed so he wouldn't trip on them later. He let a small smile curve up on his face when he finally noticed Frosch curled on one of his pillows, the slayer would have to remember to buy him those special fish he was ranting about the other day.

Rogue discreetly climbed into bed being as gentle and quiet as possible in fear of waking the small green cat. Once he was certain he was in the clear, the ebony haired mage grabbed another pillow and stuffed it under his head along with his arms while staring up at the ceiling for a few minutes before finally closing his eyes, determined to get a little sleep to clear his head.

"Is Miss Fairy going to be alright, Rogue?" The little green exceed set up rubbing his eyes as he looked at the surprised dragon slayer.

_And to think he took all the necessary precautions to keep from waking the little cat up!_

"I believe she is going to be just fine, Frosch. You should try and get more sleep, I know I kept you up most of the night with my tossing." Rogue patted the little cat as he beamed at his dragon slayer companion.

The man didn't see the point in mentioning the shadows that raged deep within the fairy. No, right now there was nothing they could do except attempt to sleep off some of their worry and exhaustion until the next piece of the puzzle falls into place.

* * *

Sting paced his office, occasionally turning to look back at the celestial spirit. To say Sting was a little surprised to have a lion brought to his office by a few guild members was an understatement.

Apparently, a few of the lesser members of the guild had taken the celestial spirit for an intruder and attacked him only to end up being beaten and forced to show the lion the way to Sting's office. The guild master wouldn't lie; he was definitely amused, which was something he needed with all the stress and tension that had built up within the guild the past couple of days.

However, Sting's amusement was short lived when the leader of the Zodiac took a seat and began to explain how the blondie ended up the way she had when his darker twin found her. The white dragon slayer had a fleeting realization that it was such sad and unfortunate story that didn't seem like it would belong to such a bright and beautiful woman.

"So, Blondie single-handedly took out all those bandits with that super powerful spell after they had already tortured her? The girl has guts no wonder she is Natsu's partner." Sting could help the respect that seemed to drip in his voice, the fact that the blonde basically took on an S-class mission and succeeded was well enough to earn his respect. It takes a lot of will to run after the person who had beaten you just to deal the final blow, and in his book, she did it flawlessly.

"Yes, my poor darling princess has been influenced by Natsu's reckless ways!" Loke dramatically flung his arm over his eyes as he pretended to be upset. The Sabertooth guild master sweat dropped when the lion went on to profess his love for the celestial mage.

_What an odd spirit._

"So, do you think it would be best for you to go to Fairy Tail and tell them what happened? My main worry is having a guild full of destructive fairy's causing chaos in my hall and all over Crocus." The zodiac leader sobbed as he considered Sting's words.

It was true that if and when the guild hears about the current state of Lucy's condition, almost every Fairy Tail member will be knocking down the doors of the Sabertooth hall with weapons raised and guns blazing.

That was just the Fairy Tail way. Fight first, ask questions later.

So, the spirit could easily see Sting's concern.

"It would be best for me to go tell them what happened. I will also let them know that only three Fairy Tail members are allowed to visit at a time. Is that agreeable?" Loke waited for the blonde male's reply, after getting his nod of approval the spirit began to open his gate once again.

"Here, take this and contact me when you tell them, I want to make sure they know about the bandits she defeated since it was originally a Sabertooth job request." Loke nodded as he took the small communication lacrima from the Sabertooth master's hand before disappearing back into his gate.

Once through his gate, the lion zodiac sweat dropped as he imagined the guild's reaction to the impending news.

This was NOT going to go well.


	7. Chapter Seven

**WARNING: Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 7**

* * *

Natsu groaned while letting his aching head drop to the counter of the bar with an audible thump. The upset salmon-haired slayer pressed his cheek against the cold wood in a pathetic attempt in pacifying his raging nerves.

The destructive slayer was definitely on edge if the amount of fidgeting and irritated moans were anything to go off. The male found himself wondering just how much longer he was going to be forced to sit at the guild and wait for his blonde best friend to return.

The fidgeting pyro could practically feel his blood boiling as the molten fluid rushed through his body, causing his already fuming temperature to rise with every passing minute.

Natsu knew it- He could just feel it, the more his magic churned and bubbled within him- he just knew that he was getting close to exploding. If the salmon-haired man couldn't find some way to calm his steadily rising heat, the slayer was going to end up spontaneously combusting into a frenzy of destructive flames right in the middle of the guild… Again.

The dragon slayer couldn't seem to wrap his head around the reason why the rest of the guild couldn't understand that he was NOT the type of wizard to sit around and wait. The fire wielder had an overwhelming need clawing into his gut that was telling him to find the blonde resident of Fairy Tail and make sure she was okay.

Why couldn't his guild mates see that their celestial mage was more than just his partner? Sure- she's his best friend, but she was more than that. The pyro had come to consider the bubbly blonde stellar mage to be part of his small makeshift family.

So, no, Natsu couldn't just sit around and wait for her, he needed to be with her- now! In fact, the slayer never even wanted her to leave without the company of both himself and Happy in the first place, and the fact that no one would let him go after Lucy was starting to absolutely piss him off!

The fire dragon slayer's back jolted upwards as something cold and mildly wet dropped onto the back of his neck causing the male to turn his head slightly. His eyes landed on the sight of silky pale porcelain skin and brilliant short snow-colored hair. His gaze followed the curvature of smooth skin until his onyx orbs landed on the pair of innocent and concerned sapphire eyes that were looking right back at him.

The dragon slayer visibly gulped while trying to not-so-subtly conceal the blush dusting his cheeks by moving to sit up. The fire wielding male was careful not to drop the already melted ice pack as it tried to slide down his body from the rapid movement.

"You know, Natsu- Erza will probably knock you out again if you cause any more trouble for the guild today." The salmon haired pyro averted his eyes trying not to notice the way the youngest Strauss's breast pushed up to reveal more of her ample cleavage while she leaned over the side of the bar to talk to him.

Natsu knew that a lot of the members of the guild often call him an idiot when it came to women since the slayer didn't seem to share his other male guild mate's interest in ogling the opposite sex.

But… The pyro definitely noticed Lisanna.

Ever since the youngest Strauss sibling returned from Edolas, Natsu had silently and almost immediately taken an interest in the short white-haired mage. The fire eater even found himself noticing tiny details that made the woman of his affections just so different than any of the other women in the guild.

Not to mention that talking to the white-haired mage always seemed to be a surefire way of calming the dragon slayer's destructive fire and pushing it back down deep within the confines of his body. The only other person who also had that capability was Lucy.

The thought of his blonde companion made a frown form on the slayer's lips once more as he remembered that she wasn't there with them, like she should be. But, something about the way Lisanna reassured him that everything was going to turn out alright made the slayer want to believe that it was true.

The youngest take-over mage just had a soothing nature to her that the pinkette couldn't seem to resist.

"Yeah, I know Lis. Thanks for the ice pack, but I think it's already melted." Natsu held up the sack of now lukewarm water while rubbing the back of his head, a goofy smile playing across his lips. The short haired woman took the sack from his hands and placed it to the side and out of the way on the bar counter. Lisanna proceeded to lift her hand and touch Natsu's forehead, causing the slayer's breathing to hitch as he caught her floral scent.

Violet with a hint of sweet pea, it captivated him in a way she would probably never know.

"Dear Mavis, Natsu! You're practically already on fire! Gray, can you come here for a second- I need your help!" Lisanna called for the ice-make mage while shaking her hand in an attempt to cool it from the raging heat of Natsu's head.

The youngest take-over mage could have sworn she heard Juvia whisper something about another love rival while Gray sauntered his way over to the pair.

"What's up, Lisanna? Do I need to kick the flaming idiot's ass for you?" Gray snickered while he leaned his back against the bar. The fire mage smacked the back of the raven-haired mage's head, making a point to tell him that he was not the idiot in this situation.

Lisanna giggled at the two boy's antics before she grabbed a hold of Natsu's hand, ignoring the overwhelming heat as she wrapped her palm around his. The dragon slayer looked away when he felt a different type of heat rising to his face once again.

"No, Gray. Can you please help me cool off Natsu? I tried to give him an ice pack, but it melted within a minute of being on him." Lisanna watched as Natsu's eyebrow twitched before he unraveled his hand from hers to point at the amused ice-make Mage.

"I don't need the damn popsicle's help, Lis! If anything, he would try to put the moves on me! Just look at the pervert, he doesn't even have a shirt or pants on!" Gray looked down at his body while Natsu continued his tirade of yelling and insulting him.

Huh, that's odd, when did he lose his shirt and pants? The raven-haired male really had to stop this bad habit. Gray felt a tick form on his head as the raging pyro maniac continued to go on with insults and dishonor to his sexual orientation.

"Sure, Lisanna, I'd love to help," The ice-make mage smirked when he let his ice magic pour from his body to form in his hand before sending it out toward the ranting and raving slayer. The half-naked male watched on as his ice encased Natsu's lower half up to his torso. The raven-haired mage couldn't help but cackle while he watched the flaming bastard try to move his legs around causing the idiot to rock from side to side, pivoting on the brink of tipping over.

"There, that should cool him off while he tries to melt it." Gray snickered once more before he started his walk back to the table he was originally sitting at with Wendy and Erza- who were both giggling at the trapped enraged dragon slayer.

"Put some clothes on ya' damn pervert!" The salmon-haired mage yelled as he used one of his free hands to send a ball of flames to collide right into the back of the shirtless ice mage. Gray proceeded to jump around as a yelp escaped the mage's lips while Natsu's fire slapped at his bare skin.

The ice incased slayer burst into tears from laughing so hard that he almost completely tipped over from the force of his laughter. It was just hilarious for the slayer to see the ice princess jump around like an idiot.

"Natsu, stop being so loud and obnoxious!" Lisanna swatted her hand at Natsu's shoulder. The fire mage just shrugged her off while he began to melt the ice to free himself once again. The salmon haired male wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was relieved that Gray was at the guild for that particular moment.

Natsu knew that between both Lisanna and Gray, they would be able to keep his raging dragon slayer magic tame. The white-haired female was calming to him emotionally and the raven-haired male's ice cooled him down physically.

If not for those two, by now he would have surely burnt down the guild and part of Magnolia by accident.

* * *

Loke stared at the great big double doors that loomed in front of him. There was no doubt that these doors belonged to the Fairy Tail guild- The same guild where the lion spirit had resided while he was in exile from the spirit world for all those years before Lucy found and saved him.

The celestial spirit could hear the voices of both Gray and Natsu as they argued over their usual petty disagreements. The muffled noise of their spat had Loke shaking his head while a small smile rose to his lips.

Some things just never change.

More often then he would like to admit, the zodiac leader found himself reminiscing about his time at the Fairy Tail guild. He really did sometimes miss being pulling into all those random fights from time to time before everyone found out his true identity.

Loke let out an undignified groan when he looked at the double doors once more. How long had he been standing there? The spirit had been silently praying to the spirit king that no one would walk out of the guild while he tried to make his decision on how to go about telling the overdramatic fairies the bad news.

Being a member of Fairy Tail for a few years himself, he knew that there were certain ways of going about situations like this just to keep the guild members from going completely batshit crazy.

He knew he couldn't just walk in, that would without a doubt start some type of uproar of questions and chaos. The guild would make an automatic assumption that something was wrong with Lucy before he even got a chance to explain. The lion spirit sweatdropped when he imagined the guild making plans and search parties while being he himself would be left in the guild before even getting a word out.

Yeah, that definitely was not going to work.

The spirit sighed once again while rubbing the back of his head. The only other way he could think of was to tell Master Makarov first then have him ease the guild into it. That would be the best and logical way to go about things after all.

Loke looked up to the second-floor window wondering how he could get up there without being seen by any other members of the guild.

He could always make a gate, but there was still a chance that the light from that alone would attract the guild member's attention, so that was a no go. Loke pushed his glasses up then rubbed his face, why was everything so complicated and frustrating lately?

He just needed to see the master; it shouldn't be that hard to get in without being noticed!

"Yo, womanizing lion, where is your master? Everyone has been waiting for her to show up for a few days now, so why are you just standing out here?" The booming voice behind him made Loke jump out of his plethora of thoughts.

The lion zodiac could feel his hair stand on end as he felt static course through the air surrounding him and the source of the voice.

Loke didn't even need to turn to see who was talking to him because the spirit would know that distinct voice anywhere. That voice could only belong to the grandson of the guild master. The lightning dragon slayer- Laxus Dreyer.

"Ah, Laxus, maybe you could help me. I need to speak with the master without being seen by the other member of the guild, and it's very important and urgent. Would you possibly teleport us to his office?" Loke asked casually while feigning an air of indifference, but on the inside, he was freaking out.

If the artificial dragon slayer refused, he would have to think of another way to get inside the guild, which was a lot harder said than done. So, the lion zodiac put all his faith into hoping that Laxus would do this small favor for him because he really did not want to scale up the back wall to get to the second floor of the guild.

Loke watched as Laxus crossed his arms over his heavy chest then breathe out a gruff 'whatever' before walking over to him. Loke let out a sigh of relief as he thanked the spirit king that the blonde male was in a good mood today.

"But I will be staying in the office while you explain, I want to know what's up as well." Laxus gave the spirit a hard glare causing a shiver to run up the orange haired feline's spine. Loke nodded his agreement before the slayer sent his magic out to wrap around the both of them.

Loke was surprised to learn that teleporting felt almost the same as traveling through his celestial gate except without all the lights and sparkles that was involved in gate opening. However, he did feel a bit nauseous once his feet hit the solid floor in front of Master Makarov's office. Whether it was from the teleportation or the impending news he was about to break, he wasn't sure.

Loke watched as Laxus knock once before entering and holding the door open for the spirit to walk through in silence.

At first glance, Loke didn't think the Master was even present in the room, the celestial spirit looked all around but his eyes kept landing on the huge oak desk in the center of the room. Piles of paper and books were scattered and stacked across the large expanse of the wooden surface.

The zodiac leader was startled out of his observation when Laxus gestured and subtly demanded the orange-haired spirit to sit in the chair that was directly in front of the desk. The lightning mage himself opted to lean on the wall in the corner with his eyes shut.

Anyone that hadn't been around the dragon slayer more than a few times would think the man wasn't even paying attention to his surroundings at all but instead listening to music, but the spirit knew better. The lightning dragon slayer was just waiting to hear what Loke was so urgent about.

Loke took notice as a few papers fell off the desk when the sound of a chair scraping against the floor echoed through the quiet room. The zodiac leader didn't have to wait long to see the little old master emerge above a few of the paper piles on the desk moving around the stacks with great speed only to stop and sit on the desk's edge directly in front of Loke. The small master let his legs swing off the edge of the desk while he took in the sight of both the spirit and slayer before he spoke.

"Loke, my child, where is your key-holder, Lucy? I can only assume something has happened if you're here and she isn't." Master's voice shook with concern while his worst fear that Lucy wasn't ready for any solo missions started to materialize into reality. The old titan had been extremely worried to let the blonde go on her own, especially after realizing how much she was suffering in silence.

Ultimately though, the master had thought being away could do her mind some good, seeing as it would give her some time to herself and away from all the distractions that would usually bother her. So, he reluctantly approved the small missions she requested to take by herself.

"Lucy completed her missions flawlessly and with all the grace I would expect from my princess, master. She was perfectly capable of taking the solo missions she had chosen. It wasn't until she was on her way home yesterday that she ran into trouble and got hurt." Loke paused while he grits his teeth a little from the anger that was welling up in him before starting once again.

"Lucy is recovering at the Sabertooth's guild right now. If the shadow dragon slayer hadn't of found her when he had, she would be dead right now, master." Loke clarified to the old man.

The spirit could sense the old titan's concern, and he could understand why everyone was worried about letting his princess go out on her own- and with good reason- but he also wanted everyone to know that Lucy was able to handle herself and she proved that, just only with a small hiccup that didn't have anything to do with completing her assigned missions.

If he wanted to get technically the blonde had completed yet another unassigned mission from another guild, but Loke didn't voice that observation out loud.

The master nodded in understanding, a melancholy aura radiating from him. The fact that one of his children almost died out on a mission did not sit well with him, especially since Lucy was already under so much stress as it was.

The small guild master was very interested in hearing the whole story, but felt it wasn't right to leave the many other concerned guild members in the dark as well as having Loke explain it multiple times when it was clear that the situation was just as hard on him as it was for everyone else

"I see. I believe it's time we take this conversation out to the rest of the guild, we have a lot of members worried about Lucy. I was actually getting ready to send the rest of Team Natsu to search for her, so the other guild members deserve to hear what happened to her as much as I do." Master Makarov jumped down from his seat on his desk and made his way out of his office with the blonde slayer following right behind him.

However, Loke hesitated while watching the two mages exit.

The spirit knew he was going to have to tell the guild what happened last night, and he hoped that it didn't get too chaotic, but of course, he knew better than that. Nothing about Fairy Tail ever went over smoothly, especially in a situation of this caliber.

Loke looked out into the hallway, determined to finally get this done and over with so he could head back to the Saber's guild, so he could check in with his princess once more. The lion zodiac walked out onto the balcony just in time to hear Makarov call the guild's attention from on top of the railing. The spirit stayed far enough back to where he could hear and see the other guild member below, but to where he himself would remain out of sight.

"Alright, my brats. I have received new information pertaining to Lucy's whereabouts, and before you all start making a huge fuss, I want you all to remain quiet until I say you can speak, GOT IT?" Makarov yelled to the members. People looked from one another exchanging confused glances before nodding or verbalizing their understanding.

The old master nodded his head, relieved that he was able to get his point across in the beginning, even though he knew that regardless his children would still create some type of chaos. He let out a sigh before he released his next word knowing full well that there was going to be outrage.

"Lucy was attacked yesterday while she was on her way back to Magnolia after completing her final mission request. She was found by a Sabertooth member and was taken back to their guild for care. I do not know the full details of the attack yet, but we are all about to hear it from one of the witnesses that were there to help when she was first attacked." Makarov moved to the side while he motioned for the spirit to come forward and take the vacant spot he had just created next to him.

Loke slowly walked to the balcony, observing as more guild members came into his field of view when he made his way up to the railing, dreading every step he took as shock filled his fellow guildmates faces.

The feline spirit was nervous, he didn't want to be the one to tell the horrible story to some of his closest comrades from the past couple years. After all, the zodiac leader still felt partly responsible for what had happened to Lucy.

If only he had been paying attention in that damn fight!

Gasps sounded through the guildhall when everyone took in the sight of the celestial spirit approaching the railing. There were muttered whispers amongst the members- all along the lines as to how bad had Lucy gotten hurt?

Loke could understand the initial shock; after all, he was a little worse for wear when it came to spiritual healing. He was covered with still healing yellowish bruises on his face, and a few already healed cuts as well. If he wasn't fully healed yet, it's obvious that Lucy must have gotten quite a beating herself.

Makarov could see that this was definitely something that was hard for Loke to do, and the aged master wished that he could do something to reassure the celestial being that things would be okay, but in all honesty, he didn't even know exactly what was going on yet himself.

So, he settled for giving Loke a hard pat on the back before he looked back down at his brats to wait for Loke to finally speak.

By this time, every guild member had stopped what they were doing to give the zodiac leader their undivided attention. The Fairy Tail guild members were all hanging by a breath waiting for him to say something, anything about what exactly had happened to their beloved celestial mage.

No longer being able to take all the eyes on him or the eerie silence of the rowdiest guild in Fiore, Loke took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself to retell the tragic story of his princess's attack.

"On the way home from her final mission, Lucy was attacked by a large group of bandits. I'm assuming the reason being was to try and take her keys from her. She tried to fight them off, but they managed to make Lucy drop her keys. Two of the top members, who I am assuming was the bosses, used magic. One used lightning similar to Laxus', and the other a vine or plant type of magic. We didn't expect them to be so strong; it was those two mages alone that were the main concern for us. They had injured both Virgo and I enough to where we had to be forced back to the spirit world. The bandits had managed to trap Lucy in vines and torture her to the point of being within an inch of her life." Loke watched as facial expressions changed throughout the guild, some in shock, and others in anger.

The lion spirit could feel a distinct magic power begin to rise while the atmosphere within the guild began to feel considerably dry and warm.

"Once the lightning wizard was sure my princess was going to bleed to death, he left her alone to die on a small pathway out of Achidea. Luckily, the bandits had forgotten about Lucy's keys during the fight and left them on the side of the road barely visible. Lucy was able to crawl her way to get them and call out Gemini. It was painfully obvious to all her spirits that she was dying." Loke choked back a sob, the zodiac leader would never forget the distraught faces of the twins upon their return the spirit world.

"Even though she was about to die, Lucy was determined to defeat and take revenge on the wizards who tortured her." Loke looked over in the corner to see even the blonde slayer had removed his earphones to listen intently while the spirit told his princess's story. Something about the look in the slayer's eyes told the spirit that the male was acknowledging Lucy's strength and will.

"When Gemini and Lucy made it to the camp the bandits had made, Gemini had called out Capricorn to distract the lower ranking bandits long enough for them to get ready to do the spell Urano Metria to take care of them all. It was apparent at that moment that Lucy had accepted the fact that she was not going to leave that field alive. No matter how much pain she was in, she was going to take her revenge not only for herself but for hurting Virgo and myself as well." Loke couldn't stop the tears as they slipped from beneath his glasses and down his face. If only he had been paying attention, maybe Lucy wouldn't have been put through so much pain.

"The stars collided with Earthland and every single bandit had been hit. She had only meant to take out the top two wizards, but it seems that she had underestimated herself once again." Loke let a melancholy smile grace his lips as he thought of how strong his key holder had become.

"All her spirits- we could feel it; her anger and determination had made the spell chaotic and destructive. It even took out the entire field." The guild was quiet as they all looked at Loke, taking in every word while he told the tale of his Lucy's triumph. Mixed emotions of awe and anger permeated through the guild.

The scarlet-haired requip mage had tears streaming down her non-artificial eye while she tried desperately to keep from making a single sound as the salt water trailed down her contorted face.

Lucy was like the little sister Erza had always dreamed of having, and just the fact that she herself had brazenly encouraged the blonde to go alone, only to be beaten and tortured ripped at the red headed beauty's heart.

The Titania held her head upwards, despite the boiling rage building within her; Erza felt she didn't deserve to shed a single tear when it had been her who had encouraged the blonde to try a solo mission.

But if she truly felt that way, why did her tears keep falling?

Gray was hunched over, his messy raven hair acting as a shield for the male's eyes while his hands repeatedly opened and closed into balled up fists. The temperature around him had dropped at an alarming rate causing the air to become more frigid than the rest of the guild.

Lucy was his teammate and a valuable member of Fairy Tail. The ice-make mage grit his teeth while he fought against his rage to try and remain in control. The rave haired male glanced to the side where he noticed both Levy and Wendy openly crying as the iron dragon slayer pat both the blue-haired wizard's heads, an obvious angry scowl apparent on his face.

Natsu's eyes were wide and unblinking while his entire body shook with rage as it tried to accommodate the spike of fire that boiled his blood. Flames flittered beneath his skin as the destructive dragon's magic begged to be released to lick at his skin and anything standing within a few feet of him.

The atmosphere around the salmon-haired man was arid and scorching, like he was the burning sun itself. Guild members shuffled away as the dragon slayer fought to hold in his rage. Bursts of blistering flames erupted from his hands when he would open his palms, then would be immediately snuffed out as he closed them to clench his fists by his side as he tried to stem the overflow of his magic.

He was furious.

"Gemini and Capricorn returned to the spirit realm shortly after the spell were completed as Lucy's body had been drained of magic. She picked herself back up and wandered down the path again, eventually blacking out, from blood loss, magic depletion or exhaustion I'm not sure which. That is all I can tell from my side of the story. But, I do have someone else that wanted to give their part of it as well" Loke said while he pulled out the mini lacrima that the Sabertooth's guild master had given him.

The lion spirit paid no mind to the confused faces, including Fairy Tail's guild master staring at him while the feline poured some of his magic into the lacrima.

Loke imagined a picture of the white dragon slayer, and not even a moment later, the tiger himself was projected from the lacrima. Sting and Loke exchanged a few hushed words before the celestial spirit faced the lacrima to the guild and Fairy Tail's master.

"What's up, Fairy Tail? Great to see you all again, though I wish it were under better circumstances, like maybe a rematch against Natsu and Gajeel, instead. I know the lion here told you his part of the story, but I want to tell you my part and give you some more information on just who exactly the bandits are that your blondie managed to take down." Natsu fought hard to recover control of his magic just so he could listen to what the other dragon slayer had to say about his Luce.

The fire dragon slayer wanted to know everything about the people who tortured his best friend to the point of almost killing herself just to get revenge. It was just so unlike Lucy.

What could they have done to make the blonde snap like that?

"I will start from the beginning and keep it as simple as possible, okay? So, about a week ago, Sabertooth got a request from the magic council to bring into custody some notorious bandits that had not only been terrorized the cities around Crocus, but capturing and killing women. Pretty bad, huh? However, they are not your ordinary weak bandits, they also had two very strong wizards in their top ranks. And because of that reason they were very hard for the council to capture." The blonde-haired master grinned from the thought of the council needing their help.

"My partner, Rogue, took the mission alone while I was stuck doing boring paperwork. He had been tracking the bandits for about three days before he came across them in a destroyed field. I remember him saying he would have never gone down that pathway if he hadn't had been able to smell the scent of someone familiar. When he went about 15 minutes down the path from the destroyed field he discovered Blondie in bad shape, she was obviously dying. He brought her back to the guild after making sure the bandits were in custody. She has since been treated and has woken up, but Yukino is with her right now." Sting looked at the silence guild. It felt odd seeing the notorious Fairy Tail guild so quiet. The Sabertooth master was always so used to seeing happy and rowdy guild members that the scene before the blonde was very unsettling, and then he remembered two more very crucial details.

"Oh yeah, two more things I need to tell you. The mission blondie basically completed was an S-class mission, you should be really proud of your celestial wizard. Rogue said the place was completely demolished, she's pretty damn powerful. Second, blondie will be staying at Sabertooth until further notice; there are a few things we need to fix before she can leave. Alright, lion spirit, I'll leave the Q&A part to you, Peace out, Fairies!" Then the lacrima connection was disconnected.

The zodiac leader stared at the lacrima for a few seconds, wide-eyed. That damn bastard! How dare he leave him alone to answer all the questions by himself!

"WHAT DO THEY MEAN LUCE WILL BE STAYING THERE!?" Natsu jumped on a table while his fist ignited, he was on edge. After all, who exactly did Sting think he was? Just because he is a guild master now didn't mean he could just decide that Lucy was going to stay at the Sabertooth guild, she needed to be home with her nakama! Especially when she is going through such a difficult time in her life!

The guild lit up with complaints and rage as they all let the information seep in. There was absolutely no way they were letting Lucy stay at that pretentious guild while she was recovering.

"I say we all march to Sabertooth and take Lucy back by force right this instant!" Erza demanded before she re-quipped into her Heaven's Wheel armor. A cheer of agreement echoed through the guild while other members started to fire up their magic and head for the door, intent on bringing their celestial maiden home, where they believed she belonged.

"Stop! You can't take Lucy away from Sabertooth! Not right now, anyway." Loke's voice sounded like a plea through the rowdy guild hall. Everyone turned to face the spirit while they waited for a reason as to why they couldn't bring their precious Lucy home where she was meant to be.

"Oh yeah, And why not, Loke?" Loke looked to the floor below him, Gray had his shirt off as he was getting ready to head out the door with Erza. Loke dropped his head, he knew that the raven haired man had put his faith in him to protect Lucy from getting hurt, the spirit had definitely failed him as well. But Loke was not about to let everyone take his princess away from her only chance at stopping the darkness that was consuming her!

The orange-haired feline spirit raised his head once again while squaring his shoulders.

"Because the Shadow Dragon Slayer might be able to save her from the shadows that are residing in her." Loke started out in a yell but his sentence ended up dying down to a whisper. The celestial spirits were counting on Rogue to save their princess from the darkness that was slowly driving her into insanity and if she had to stay at the Sabertooth's guild until they did just that, then that is where she needed to be right now, not Fairy Tail. Loke's eyes widened when he heard someone clear their throat then ask a question.

"Is that why Luce has those horrible nightmares?" Loke watched as Natsu bent his head down, his salmon hair covering his eyes. The pyro knew something was different about Lucy, and it wasn't just the trauma of watching future Lucy die either.

She just smelt off ever since they returned home from Crocus. The fire mage had just assumed she was using a different smelling bath product, but now that Loke said something he had put it together.

She smelled very, very faintly like the Rogue from the future.

Lucy wasn't just having nightmares, she was being attacked from the inside by a foreign magic, and he had been too dumb to notice until now. This whole time his best friend had been in pain and was suffering and he hadn't tried to help her one bit.

Natsu clenched his fists, how could he be so careless? He made a promise to the future Lucy that he would protect her future, but how could he do that if she was being eaten away from the inside out?

"Future Rogue had somehow, someway, sent his magic into my princess as a way of revenge for ruining his plans with the eclipse gate. Whether we like it or not, Lucy needs to stay put with the Sabers for her own health." Loke crossed his arms while he answered the dragon slayer, he could tell that Natsu was taking the news badly, but he was trying to control his temperament and for that he and the rest of the guild were thankful.

"Umm, so does that mean Lucy is as strong as an S-Class mage now, Master?" Lisanna walked up to stand by Natsu as she asked her question. The youngest Strauss sibling knew she couldn't be the only one that was wondering the same thing. Of course, they all know that their blonde celestial maiden is strong, but had she really gained enough strength from her emotional torment to be considered an S-Class?

"If she has completed an S-Class mission by herself, then yes, she is considered as strong as an S-Class mage. However, that doesn't mean I will be making her S-Class. But we will definitely need to remember that she is a force to be reckoned with and celebrate her victory when she returns home. Until then, let's go for a visit to Sabertooth to check up on her." Makarov raised his hand in the air while he let a smile grace his lips, he was excited to see how much Sabertooth has changed since Sting had become the guild master.

"Ah, about that Master… Sting only wants groups of three to visit at a time to ensure that no damages will be done to his guild." The celestial lion rubbed the back of his head while he waited for the obvious outrage.

"Are you fucking serious, man? Come on! I want to see Luce so I'm going first!" A flaming fist was sent up into the air as fire spilled from Natsu's open mouth causing one of the wooden beams to catch a flame.

"No, Lucy is my little sister, Flameass, I'm going first!" Ice slammed into the fire dragon slayer's open mouth in an attempt to keep the guild from catching fire while Juvia doused the already scorched wood, once again.

"I believe I will be the first to go, I need to comfort her with my bosom." A sharpened sword went sailing through the guild, the ice mage ducked out of the way before the metal could pierce his skin.

"I would like to see Lu-chan!" The solid-script mage quickly erected a rune shield to stop Erza's deadly weapon from hurting anyone before moving away from the still scowling iron dragon slayer.

"Umm, I'd like to be first to see Lucy to help heal her wounds if possible…" Wendy stood from the table while trying to keep her voice to a reasonable level while still trying to get her point across.

"Alright, brats calm down! If Sting does not want more than three, then we will do as he says. The first group to go will be Me, Wendy, and Levy. No complaining." Natsu was about to voice his complaint but thankfully Lisanna hurriedly covered his mouth to keep him from getting in trouble once again.

* * *

"Yo, Rogue get your lazy ass up, you can't be sleeping all day! We have some major work cut out for us!" Sting slammed the still sleeping shadow mage's bedroom door open causing it to hit the wall with a loud bang. The ebony-haired male shot up from his bed when the blonde flicked his nose.

The ruby eyed mage soon realized a nap was definitely not the best idea, because now not only was he still tired, he was very easily irritated as well.

Rogue reached for the closest object in his vicinity, which happened to be his alarm clock and chunked it at the inconsiderate blonde slayer. Sting easily dodged the oncoming attack while laughing at his aggravated partner.

"Do you always have to be so loud? A simple knock would have been enough to wake me up and you damn well know it." Rogue glared at his light haired twin before moving to get out of bed, he took a few moments to straighten out his clothes before going to the bathroom.

The ebony haired mage stared into the mirror, his ruby eyes locked on the disaster that was his hair. His usual ponytail was loosened, causing half of his locks to fall from the band and matt at the nape of his neck. Rogue quickly tugged at the knots before pushing his hair back into its original state before rejoining the blonde male in his bedroom.

Frosch had woken up while the shadow slayer was in the bathroom, wondering what all the commotion and yelling was about, he jumped down from bed then asked Sting where Lector was. After the white dragon slayer had told him that Lector was in the guild hall, Frosch asked his partner if he could go play with him. Of course, Rogue said yes, and both dragon slayers watched as the pink frog suit exceed left the room in pursuit of fish and Lector.

"I just got off the communication lacrima with Fairy Tail, no doubt the first group is on their way here right now. I told them that blondie is going to be staying at Sabertooth for a while. Rogue, have you thought of any way to remove your magic? I am sure the lion already told them about her having your shadows in her." The blonde mage sat on the edge of Rogue's bed, he had really expected the ebony haired slayer to come to the office after being kicked out of the infirmary, not go back to his room to go to sleep.

The situation must have been harder on him then the Sabertooth master had originally thought, but unfortunately, there was nothing anyone else could do except research, which was exactly what Rufus was doing. Maybe when Fairy Tail arrives they might be able to offer more assistance as well.

"No, the only conclusion I keep coming to is being by the fairy's side, so I can force the shadows out bit by bit when they come out of dormancy to attack her. Something tells me that won't go over well with her, and to be quite honest, I don't want to be stuck babysitting her for who knows how long. I'm willing to help in whatever way I can, but there just has to be another option." Sting watched as Rogue leaned against his wall opposite of the bed. The blonde knew that his darker haired twin was not a very social person, he preferred to keep to himself and a select few, so the thought of having to be around someone that he didn't even know probably unnerved him.

At that moment, Sting felt pity for his partner, Rogue had been forced into a position where he was the deciding factor in the celestial blondie's life, all because of what his future self did. And to top it off, the girl was completely terrified to be in the same room with him. He knew that Rogue wanted to help her, but Sting just didn't know how he could when the shadow mage couldn't be close enough to the blonde stellar mage when she was awake.

It was a lot of weight and responsibility to be thrown on Rogue's shoulders all at once.

Sting sighed as he rose from the bed then stretched, being in Rogue's dark room was starting to bum him out a bit. He walked over to the shadow dragon slayer to give him a pat on the back as a sort of reassurance that they will figure it out before he walked to the door and out into the hall.

It had been almost two hours since Yukino kicked everyone out of the guild's infirmary and Sting was starting to wonder if it would be okay to pop in to check up on the two women. Hell, maybe blondie was ready to talk for herself about what happened. The guild master was also interested in hearing about the nightmares she had and what exactly happens to them if she was willing to share that information. Maybe it would give them a clue as to how to help her.

The Sabertooth master walked down the stairs two at a time, he had thought of going to the guild hall to get something else to eat, but when he reached the second floor, he couldn't stop himself as he made the turn to go down the hallway instead. His curiosity seemed to get the better of him when the blonde male found himself standing outside the infirmary door. Sting could hear soft feminine mumbling coming from the other side of the door.

Surely a quick peek wouldn't hurt anybody would it? He would even knock just to be on the safe side.

Sting lightly tapped the back of his knuckles against the wooden door, he could hear the shuffling of blankets and the springs of the mattress before the soft pads of feet could be heard as they approached the other side of the door to open it just a crack. The blonde slayer watched as silver hair and a brown orb peeked through the small opening, he let a grin spread across his face as Yukino opened the door a small amount more.

"I just came to see how everything was going, it's been a few hours, is blondie up for a visitor?" The blonde master tried to whisper, but of course, it came out in his usual tone. The silver-haired woman rolled her eyes at him before ducking her head back into the room, obviously asking the blonde bedridden woman if it would be okay to let him in. After a few seconds of silence, he heard a small 'okay' then the door was being swung open to let him into the room.

Sting walked through the door slowly, he didn't know exactly what to expect from the blonde laying on the bed, but he did know he didn't want to startle her or upset her, so he stood at a good distance on the other side of the room, keeping enough space between himself and her.

Yukino shut the door then walked back in to sit on the other side of Lucy on the mattress. The blonde slayer felt a little uneasy as the Fairy Tail mage stared at him for a long time without saying a word. He watched as she gulped before conjuring up a small smile for him.

* * *

Lucy's eyes widened when a knock on the door sounded through the room. She hadn't realized how long it's been since the silver haired celestial mage had made everyone leave. They had sat there crying for quite a while before Lucy finally calmed down.

The blonde decided that it was nice having someone there for her for a change. The blonde had spent so much time bottling up her own feelings and carrying her burdens alone that she didn't realize how much she needed a friend to just listen and be there.

"I'm just going to check and see who it is really quick. I'll be right back" Lucy nodded while Yukino moved to get off the bed and padded to the door. The Fairy Tail woman strained her ears to hear the conversation until she heard the voice of the Sabertooth guild master.

Lucy pulled the blanket up to cover herself a little more as she moved to lie back down. Her side was throbbing as she shifted to make herself comfortable once again. The celestial mage winced, it was difficult to move around with her hurt shoulder and side, not to mention all the burns that stung when she would turn a certain way.

"Lucy, do you mind if Sting comes in to see how you are doing?" Lucy watched as Yukino shut the door a bit before turning to look at her, waiting for an answer. Lucy felt a surge of embarrassment pass over her when she remembered the way she acted earlier.

She hated that people had to see her so emotionally overwhelmed, but everything just hit her all at once and she wasn't thinking straight. Sting wasn't the one she feared, if he didn't get too close to her, everything should be fine. Besides, he is the guild master now, and he is letting her stay here while she was injured.

"Oh... Okay. That's fine." Lucy cursed herself as her voice betrayed her, letting both Sabertooth mages know just how nervous she really was. Though she was sure the blonde-haired guild master could already tell by just listening to her heart rate with his advanced dragon slayer hearing. The Fairy Tail celestial mage watched as Yukino swung the door open and moved to the side to let the Sabertooth guild master in

His blonde hair swayed on the top of his head as he marched over to the furthest wall away from Lucy before he turned to lean against it. The fairy couldn't help but stare, Sting had always sort of reminded her of her fire slayer, what with his boyish looks and his goofy smile.

Lucy felt a stab in her heart as she thought about Natsu, the blonde missed her friends dearly, and there was no doubt her faithful lion spirit had probably already told them what had happened to her by now. Embarrassment washed over her once again, Lucy was painfully aware of how weak she already is, but having the whole guild know that she had been beaten and tortured and… and… she was just pathetic.

"Thank you for letting me stay here while I recover, guild master Sting." Lucy forced a smile as she felt a comforting hand run across her fisted palm, she let her grip loosen as she brought her hands to rest in her lap. The blonde had close to a million emotions running through her all at once and she didn't know exactly how she felt about anyone at the moment, but she did know that even though she felt skittish and scared right now, she could trust Sting.

The silver haired beauty beside her had told Lucy earlier how fond she was of him, and just how amazing he was for stepping up and recreating Sabertooth into an amazing guild modeled after Fairy Tail's ideals. Lucy recalled the crimson blush that had rose to Yukino's cheeks as she went on and on about the white dragon slayer.

The Fairy Tail stellar mage felt another jolt in her heart as she watched the slayer's mouth curve into a goofy lopsided grin that was so much like her best friends. Sting made sure to tone down his voice a bit before telling the blonde woman it was no big deal and he was just glad she was feeling better. Lucy felt some of the tension in her shoulders ease as Sting's easy-going attitude and Yukino's nurturing nature surrounded her, almost as if they were forming a cocoon of safety just for her.

The blonde woman felt her heart swell; she was completely overwhelmed with gratitude. For the first time, Lucy felt the darkness in the back of her mind slip away as she let the loneliness she had suffered for weeks start to melt away.

As long as someone was around to keep the shadow dragon slayer away from her, Lucy felt safe. She didn't like being in the same building as the red-eyed male, and that made her feel a bit horrible because she did recognize the fact that he was not the same Rogue that had tormented her, but she just couldn't help the fear that consumed her just by looking at him. The resemblance was diminutive, but it was enough to make her heart race and palms grow clammy with anxiety.

Lucy let the thought of the shadow mage fade into the back of her mind while she watched Yukino and Sting talk to one another. Lucy let a small smile grace her lips as she noticed the way the two Sabers obliviously flirted with one another, almost as if they were a couple. If she didn't know any better she would say that Yukino and Sting were perfect for one another, they just complemented one another in a way that had Lucy wondering just how close the two truly were. Lucy let a tiny giggle bubble up from below all the stress and fear residing in her.

She was starting to feel a little better now.

* * *

 


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

* * *

"Okay, Blondie. Our memory-make wizard, Rufus, is the person who's taken care of your injuries so far. Would it be okay if I sent him up to check you over? I can also send up some food up as well." The blonde dragon slayer sighed while moving to stand from the chair he had been situated in before giving his back a good stretch.

He'd much rather stay and chat with the two celestial wizards, but as guild master of the second strongest guild in Fiore, Sting just couldn't keep putting off the mountain of untouched paperwork that he knew was piled high on his office desk.

Usually he would just beg Rogue to finish the work load, but seeing as how the dark haired slayer had some issues of his own to sort out, he wouldn't even bother. The slayer could practically picture the various documents as they sat untouched while waiting for him to review and sign.

The Fairy Tail maiden's face visibly fell at the slayer's suggestion of bringing the memory-make male close to her. Even though the blonde had just been informed that Rufus had indeed been the one that had taken care of her wounds while she was sleeping, she was still apprehensive.

After all, having the male check her over while she was unconscious compared to when she's awake is two entirely different situations. Just the thought of having the masked mage's hands on her body made the blonde's stomach flip, causing an uneasy feeling to cloud her mind.

The Fairy Tail mage covered herself with the blankets while her body physically wilted back down onto the mattress. Lucy wasn't sure if she could mentally handle having a male prodding at her bare flesh right now, not when the memories were so fresh in her mind.

No, scratch that.

She  _knew_  she couldn't. Not right now at least.

The silver haired woman took notice of the way Lucy's body tensed while she remained silent on the bed. She couldn't help but think about how difficult it must be for the blonde to let any man close to her, regardless of how innocent their intentions may be.

Sting had spent roughly an hour in the infirmary before the beaten woman had felt comfortable enough for him to slide a chair up to the bed, so he could talk to her in a more appropriate and friendly manner. Asking Lucy if Rufus could come into the room where she had finally started to feel the least bit comfortable was asking too much in such a short amount of time.

The Sabertooth woman moved to grab her fellow celestial mage's hand to give it a light squeeze while letting her honey colored eyes slip back to her guild master who was still standing awkwardly by the door, obviously waiting for some kind of answer from one of the celestial mages.

"How about I go ask Rufus what needs to be done and maybe I can do it instead, does that sound better? I can also get you something to eat while I am down there. I won't take very long; will you be okay by yourself for about twenty minutes?" Lucy perked up a little bit as relief washed over her.

Yukino would never know how much of a blessing she was to the blonde right now. In fact, the Fairy Tail member was almost certain that the silver haired woman was secretly an angel disguised as a Sabertooth mage.

It had been so long since Lucy had let someone else help carry her hurt and her anguish, that despite the circumstances, she felt completely grateful to not only Yukino but all of Sabertooth. The blonde gave a slow nod letting her eyes show all the gratitude that her mouth refused to speak before the other woman's hand softly drop her hold, so she could then move to the door. Both Sabertooth mages turned back to look at their hurt Fairy guest once more.

"Just lay back and get some rest, I'll be back shortly!" The door shut with a soft click after both the slayer and celestial mage had walked out of the infirmary, leaving the blonde woman alone to her own thoughts.

Lucy took a moment to look over the infirmary, taking in all the details of the small room that she might as well consider her home until she was healed enough to leave. The medical space wasn't small, but it wasn't huge either, with only 4 beds and a small bathroom attachment, the room gave off a comfortable vibe that the stellar mage rather enjoyed.

Lying back onto the mattress, the wounded woman silently reminded herself to ask Yukino when she came back if it would be possible for her to take a shower. Her usual blonde hair clung to her scalp in thick clumps while dried blood and dirt caked the golden strands. Her skin was raw and aching as much as it was filthy, hot water would probably do her sore body some good.

Even though Lucy knew the silver haired Saber- bless her heart- had tried within the best of her available resources given the situation to wash her, there was nothing that could compare to a warm shower.

Oh, how the blonde key wielder just wished that she could wash away the evidence of her torture like it was nothing more than a horrible nightmare.

Maybe if she tried to scrub herself raw, she could rid herself of the feeling of disgust that dwelled deep within her.

She highly doubted it, but a girl could always dream.

The blonde sighed heavily causing an agonizing amount of pain to pull on her wounds as she let her chocolate orbs stare up at the ceiling. She felt the chain reaction of nerves lighting on fire from the small amount of movement she had willed her prone form to make.

Despite the pain, Lucy moved to turn her body slightly, letting the stinging pain serve as a calming reassurance that she was still alive.

A little worse for wear, but she had against all odds- survived.

The Fairy Tail mage closed her eyes, opening a door for hazy memories of slick and sticky crimson warmth to resurface to the front of her mind. The blonde shivered involuntarily at the memory of feeling the thick fluid as it had pooled around her unusually cold body, almost as if it was cocooning her in its foreign life-giving heat.

She had lost so much blood and her magic had been completely depleted so much so that the Heartfillia heiress had been certain she was going to be reunited with her deceased parents. She was positive that there had been no hope for her of coming out of the situation alive.

In fact, Lucy knew that if the shadow mage hadn't of intervened when he did, she would have been dragged down into death's grip, never to wake again.

Lucy couldn't control the next shudder that shook her form when she remembered her body had been in the ebony haired male's arms while she had been unconscious. The very thought made her heart lurch with unwanted anxiety.

Though she knew that Rogue was the person who saved her from near death, and the dark haired slayer had nothing to do with her emotional trauma, the fairy just couldn't stop her stressed mind from placing both the future and current Shadow dragon slayer's together as one in the same.

The dragon slayer staring in her nightmares had proved time and time again that his sole purpose in her mind was to torture and make her suffer, and no matter how Lucy felt about the man that had come from the future- the blonde knew she couldn't blame the present Sabertooth wizard when the ebony haired male had so obviously gone out of his way to save her life.

Lucy's opened her eyes once again with an audible sigh; her head was spinning from overworking her still exhausted brain. The celestial maiden felt like she was forcing the large organ to work overtime as she tried to collect all her scattered and confused thoughts.

A thought crept into Lucy's still reeling mind, what if the ebony haired Sabertooth male was able to save her from his future counterpart's shadows?

Would that even possible?

Surely it couldn't be that hard, it is his magic after all.

But there was just one problem. If the blonde was hoping Rogue could take away the shadow magic from within her body, the slayer would have to be close to her, maybe even touch her to draw them out.

Lucy's breath hitched in the back of her throat as the realization crashed into her, could she even handle that? She didn't know if she'd ever be able to trust him enough to be so close to her, even though he may very well be the only person that can save her from the dark shadow magic. It was just a matter of whether she could be strong enough to be near him, which she knew was something she was not ready to do.

Lucy put her hand up to her head, her mind was overloaded with so much anxiety that it was enough to give her a headache. She just wanted things to go back to normal, why couldn't she just live happily ever after with her guild and her nightmare of a life be over with?

Was it really in her fate to be so miserable?

Was it completely necessary to have a foreign magic tear her apart from the inside out? Was it really something she was going to have to live with for the rest of her life? Because honestly, she didn't know if she could handle fighting back the shadows for much longer. She could never live in peace with the malice shadows that lingered within her.

Lucy covered her eyes when the bright golden light of a gate opening formed at the foot of her bed. She watched as Loke emerged in all his fiery glory before he hurriedly moved to the farthest wall away from her.

Lucy's heart broke as she sensed Loke's apprehension to be around her, he was afraid of setting her off or upsetting her once again. Lucy knew that it wasn't fair to her friends that she was scared, it was the bandits fault, not theirs, plus she knew that the lion spirit would never hurt her, he may love to play around and flirt, but it was all in good nature.

The blonde took in an unsteady breath as she motioned for Loke to come closer.

"Loke, I know you would never hurt me, please come sit down. Just don't touch me, okay?" Lucy watched as Loke's eyes widened before he pushed himself from the wall, taking careful steps as he approached her, just in case his princess decided to change her mind.

When he was directly in front of the bed, he pulled up the chair that was left abandoned by the white dragon slayer earlier and sat to the right of the mattress.

"I'm so sorry princess, I just didn't want to startle you. Master, Wendy, and Levy are on their way here right now to see you. I told them about what happened." Lucy's eyes snapped up as fear rushed through her body. Her guild knows just how weak she was now. She didn't want them to see her so defiled and broken, she was from Fairy Tail, a very strong guild, and she wanted her guildmates to be proud of her, not pity her.

The fact that they will be seeing her in another guild after her first solo missions so broken and beaten made her feel like a complete failure. The embarrassment stung like she had been whipped across the back. She was not worth the effort to come see.

"You didn't tell them about... You know... Did you? I don't know if I can handle seeing them if you told them, Loke." The blonde woman felt hot tears prick at her eyes, she could still feel the gruff of the bandit's stubble as if he had just forced his mouth upon her own moments ago.

She didn't want the guild to know just how weak she truly was. Her guildmates knowing she was attacked was one thing, but knowing she was defiled? That would be the icing on top of the cake, she wouldn't know how she was going to face them ever again.

"No, that isn't my personal information to tell, and Sting agreed to let you be the one to make that decision as well. But princess, please don't be scared to tell them, Natsu is going to know something is different about you, and all hell will break loose when he finds out if someone doesn't tell him beforehand. Just look at you. You won't even let me get close to touching you, how are you going to react when Natsu tries to hug you or sling his arm around you, because you know it will happen." Loke stood from his chair ignoring the screech as it slid back against the floor from his fast movement. The blonde flinched as the high pitched noise reached her ears.

The celestial maiden knew that Loke was right, but she didn't want them to know. She didn't exactly know how she was going to face Natsu, or Gray- or even Master just yet. She let the tears spill from her eyes while she let Loke's words penetrate her mind.

She was so completely screwed up that she wouldn't even be able to let her best friend hug her without freaking out.

She missed the fire dragon slayer so much, but now, she didn't know how she could even see him how she was now. She didn't want Natsu getting upset and burning down Sabertooth's guild or burning something important.

She let out a sob as she caved in on herself once again, that damn bandit had ruined her. He ruined her for anyone else, all her friends, anything in her future, she felt like it had all been ripped away from her grasp. She would never be the same, not fully anyway.

Loke reached for her, he wanted so bad to comfort her, he knew she didn't want the guild to know, but when the pyromaniac found out by her screaming at him not to touch her or he smells a different scent on her, he will get confused and want answers.

Answers Lucy wouldn't be ready to give.

There really was no way around the fact that Fairy Tail would figure out the truth, and when they did, chaos was liable to break loose. Right now, the guild only knew half of the truth, they didn't even know everything about what happened to his princess. Loke shook his head as he was forced to watch his key holder suffer.

Lucy was petrified when she felt the dam on her reserve break once more, she hadn't thought that far in advance. She hadn't even thought about how Natsu would react when he saw her. Her lion spirit was so right, the fire-breather would automatically reach out to touch her, and she would reflectively either scream or smack his hand away- and if he didn't get the message- she would go into a full-on panic attack, something she did not want to put herself or Natsu through.

Mavis, why did everything have to seem like the world was against her?

* * *

Crimson eyes observed as the silver haired celestial mage bounced down from the last step of the staircase then over to the bar before she made her way over to the table that the shadow mage, Rufus, Orga, Frosch, and Lector were sitting at. Rogue averted his gaze while he tried to keep his curiosity from showing when Yukino pulled out a chair to sit between Orga and Rufus.

"How is she doing, Yukino?" The memory make mage ask, Rogue observed the female saber when she sighed then put her chin in her hands while leaning her elbows onto the table, it was obvious she was having a real long hectic day. After all, she had been in the same room for hours on end today.

"She is doing a lot better, and I am glad for that, she even let Sting sit close to the bed while we all talked for about an hour. I came down to get some food and ask you if there is anything I need to do to her wounds. She was very nervous when Sting suggested bringing you in to check her over." Yukino stated while she trained her attention on Rufus, oblivious to how crimson eyes widened just a fraction of her statement.

So, Sting went back into the room to check on the fairy? The shadow slayer guessed he shouldn't be that surprised, he was the guild master and the blonde buffoon should know how guests are faring while in his building, but still...

Why didn't he let Rogue know that he was going to check on her?

The ebony haired male was worried about the girl as much as everyone else, maybe even more so since he knew exactly what his shadow magic was capable of.

It was absolutely frustrating that he was basically being told he was not allowed to see the blonde celestial key holder, for god sakes, he was the one that found her, and is most likely the only one that could save her from his shadows.

The fact that he had to fix the woman and not be close to her when the shadows and just her scent alone pulled him closer? It was like asking rain to fall without the help of clouds- impossible.

Rogue was being drawn to her and it was driving him mad that he couldn't even check up on her and test out theories or even try and lure the shadows from within her so neither he or the blonde would have to deal with the situation anymore.

Rogue directed his attention back to Rufus and Yukino as he listened to them talk about what exactly Yukino needed to do to take care of the fairy's wounds. It seems Rufus was even a bit upset he wasn't really welcomed in the infirmary at the moment as well. At least the ebony haired male wasn't the only one, it seems all guys are off limits for now.

Except for that bastard Sting- of course.

The blonde guild master would be the one that went and made himself comfortable with the fairy.

Rogue felt a tick form on his head while he let his frustration overwhelm him. How dare his moron of a guild master not tell him he was going to see the blonde! The crimson eyed slayer pushed himself out of his chair intent on seeing his lighter haired twin. His mind so consumed with his thoughts that he didn't even take notice of the others watching him leave the table with confused looks.

Rogue could feel the small pull of shadow magic and smell the wafting of the blonde's tears before he even made it to the landing of the first floor. The ebony haired saber paused to look up the length of the staircase pondering why the woman was crying.

Crimson eyes narrowed as thoughts of the fairy being alone with no one else in the room with her, it was impossible to know if his counterparts dark magic was twisting its way back up to the surface of her skin, getting ready to attack her once again. Rogue stomped up the steps as genuine concern edged him to the second floor. He turned immediately to walk down the lengthy hallway, following the smell of salt in the air until he was at the infirmary door.

The ebony haired slayer's heart dropped when he neared the infirmary door. Soft feminine sobs could be heard emancipating from just the other side. Crimson eyes shut as the shadow mage contemplated on what he should do.

Rogue backed away from the door until his back hit the wall of the hallways behind him, he could still hear her quiet cries while she released her grief and sorrow through small whimpers and sniffles. Turning to face the wall, the Sabertooth mage pressed his forehead onto the cold interior, never had he felt a more overwhelming need to comfort someone he didn't even personally know.

Her smell, his magic, her cries, it was all too much to handle. He felt like he was being torn into two different halves. One that didn't want anything to do with the broken fairy crying in the room across from him, and the other half wanting nothing more than to comfort and soothe her and be as close as possible to her.

Rogue blamed that half solely on the magic that was calling to him, of course.

Rogue pushed his head harder into the stone wall before pushing off it completely, turning to face the door once again. His head snapping forward when he caught the voice of a male coming from the other side of the door, where the sniffling fairy could also be heard.

The dragon slayer couldn't make out the soft whispers enough to tell who the masculine voice belonged to, so he moved forward until he was only an inch away from the only barrier between the blonde woman and himself.

Should he knock and see if everything is okay? He was going to have to get closer to her eventually if he wanted to take his magic away from her, why not try and start now?

The more familiar she becomes with him, the faster he would be able to force out his magic and the fast she would be back on her way to Fairy Tail along with her maddening scent.

When Rogue tapped on the door with his knuckles, he suddenly had second thoughts. What if she has an anxiety attack just from the sight of him? The ebony haired male stepped back as he considered if he should merge with the shadows before it was too late, but he could already hear the telltale sound of a chair being pushed back then feet shuffle to the door.

The shadow mage swallowed his panic while he put on his usual expressionless mask. Ruby orbs watched as the door swung open halfway, the blonde's lion spirit slipped through the doorway and slammed the door shut before Rogue could even get a look at the fairy on the bed.

"What are you doing here?" Loke narrowed his eyes incredulously causing Rogue to glare right back at the spirit, both refusing to remove their gaze from the other male's eyes. Loke rolled his eyes after a few minutes passed by in silence, really though, why was Rogue there?

"I wanted to see how the Celestial mage is doing." Rogue let the words slip from his mouth without thinking after the lion looked away. The crimson eyed slayer's emotions were in a flurry of turmoil as one part of himself really did want to check on the blonde woman, and really was worried about her wellbeing, while another part just wanted to get the hell away from her until he figured out just what he was going to do about her.

But the blonde's tears had made him stray from his original destination to see his guild master and the first part of himself had won the battle.

"LUCY is fine, why do you even care? Shouldn't you be figuring out a way to end the torment that your future self-had inflicted on her?" Rogue watched as the lion became agitated, causing Rogue to smirk inwardly, oh how he loved to piss people off sometimes, especially when it's someone he didn't particularly care for to begin with, though he could have gone without the reminder that he did have more important things to do than gawk at a closed door.

"I could smell her tears and I was under the impression she was alone, if I knew you were with her, I wouldn't have bothered." Rogue dismissed the angry zodiac with a scowl before turning to face the direction of the staircase. The shadow mage was about to begin his trek back to Sting's office before a calloused hand reached out and grabbed his arm just above his elbow. An annoyed ruby iris looked back at the lion and was shocked to see the grief written across the spirits now pained face, all agitation completely washed away.

"She isn't doing well. She's finally beginning to see just how much that monster of a bandit had stolen from her, plus she's too scared to rest- her nightmares terrorize her. Please tell me you have thought of something, I'm going to go crazy. She is a mess and I can't even get close enough to comfort her!" The ebony haired dragon slayer watched as the celestial leader's raw emotions of pure anguish play across his bruised face.

Rogue had realized that the celestial maiden held up in the guild infirmary was no doubt miserable right now, but he had never stopped to think about how all her loved ones must feel as well. The pain the blonde woman's friends will feel for her was no doubt going to cause a lot of anguish not only for the blonde herself, but the people that loved and cared for her.

Crimson eyes slipped closed while the shadow mage tilted his head up towards the ceiling with a sigh. Rogue recognized that the lion was using him as a beacon of hope in the darkness that was clouding his master's life, and the ebony haired male sincerely hoped he wouldn't disappoint him and everyone else that cared for the blonde.

Crimson eyes snapped open as a new piece of the puzzle snapped into place with the spirit's words.

"Lucy has nightmares every time she sleeps? That most likely means that the shadows live in the recesses of her subconscious and only come out when she is sleeping." Emerald eyes gazed at the ebony haired slayer before giving a weak nod in confirmation.

If his shadows only affect Lucy when she is unconscious that would make it a whole lot simpler for the ebony haired male to be near the blonde when his magic come out of dormancy. He might be able to slip by her side while the celestial mage was sleeping to watch over her, that way she wouldn't need to worry about being around him.

"If I can stay with her when she's sleeping, I might be able to draw more of the magic from her. It would also be better since she's afraid of me and won't let me near her." Rogue gauged the spirit's reaction as the orange haired male's defeated and hopeless look was replaced by one of renewed hope.

The dragon slayer rolled his eyes as the sound of soft footfalls were approaching from the staircase while the aroma of fresh food assaulted his nostrils. The ebony haired male didn't even have to turn around to know that it was his celestial guildmate bringing up the blonde mage's food.

"Rogue, why did you leave so suddenly-" The silver haired mage looked from both the slayer and spirit before narrowing her gaze.

" What are you even doing here?" The suspicious glare the short haired woman shot at him had the slayer raise his eyebrow in amusement before shaking his head at her and sidestepping away.

Yukino stuck her tongue out at the ebony haired shadow slayer before thanking the zodiac spirit when the fiery orange haired male opened the door to the infirmary for her. The silver haired celestial woman gave her fellow guild mate one last glance maneuvering her body within the doorway since she was juggling two dishes within her hands.

Ruby eyes widened once again as a wave of the blonde wizard's scent came barreling through the open door, the slayer's nostrils flared causing the crimson eyed male to turn toward the door right as it was being shut. However, Rogue didn't miss the shocked expression of the blonde as her cocoa brown eyes widened when she lifted her gaze from the bed at the last second before the door closed only to be met with his equally as surprised ruby orbs.

"So there really might be a way for you to help her?" Loke's voice brought the stunned slayer back down from his thoughts as he turned back to face the spirit. Rogue tried to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat for the small second that his eyes fixated on the sad and lonely gaze of the bedridden blonde.

Her scent had completely overwhelmed him, it was sweet like strawberries but had a hint of darkness that was no doubt his own magic. He had been completely mesmerized by the smell that he couldn't even look away from her chocolate colored eyes, something that disturbed him.

"Yes, as long as she consents to the idea, then there's hope." The dragon slayer watched as Loke's face fell somewhat before he smashed his own head into the wall next to the door frame, much like Rogue himself was doing earlier.

"She's never going to consent to have you in the same room with her. I can barely get close enough to her, how do you expect her to let the man that is the star of her nightmares sit next to her while she is sleeping?" The spirit pushed back his fiery auburn locks before rubbed his forehead where he had just rammed into the wall.

Rogue knew he had a point, but the slayer didn't want her not to know. What if she woke up one night and saw him there without knowing his true intentions? Then they would be in a much worse predicament.

"Those are the terms. I suggest you convince her that it's the best and only option we have right now." Rogue turned once again, he could still smell the lingering scent as it washed over his skin, creating goosebumps.

The slayer needed to get out of that hallway- away from the blonde fairy before he himself lost his mind. He listened as Loke sighed before the spirit opened the door once more. Rogue, not wanting to get caught up in the wave of her scent again, merged with the shadows and willed himself to move up the staircase and to Sting's office. He reemerged right outside the door before knocking and entering, not even waiting for a reply to be welcomed in.

Rogue walked into Sting's spacious office only to find said guild master laying on the floor on his stomach snoring. The shadow dragon slayer clicked his tongue in annoyance before he moved to Sting's side, using his foot to step on the white dragon slayers back before yelling to wake up. The blonde jumped up from the ground so fast that he almost knocked over the lamp on his desk while he looked around cautiously before his eyes landed on the slender stature that was his fellow slayer.

"What the hell, Rogue?" Sting rubbed his leg where he had hit the corner of his desk in a pathetic attempt to act like he hadn't been sleeping. Rogue chuckled as he watched Sting's dismayed face. Payback was so sweet.

"Payback, for waking me from my nap earlier. On another note, I heard you visited with our fairy guest earlier." Rogue glanced at his slayer twin before moving to sit on the couch in the corner of the room while Sting sat at his desk.

Crimson orbs glanced out of the office window; he hadn't realized how much of the day had already come to pass. So many distractions had made him lose track of time.

The sun would be setting soon, maybe the lion would get an answer from his blonde master before night sets in. Truth be told, Rogue wanted to stay in the room with the fairy while she slept, the faster he removed his magic, the faster she would leave, and he wouldn't have to deal with an annoying pulling sensation on his magic all the time.

"Yes, I wanted to see if she was feeling better, it took me a while to even get to sit close to the bed, I'm a little scared of how Natsu is going to react when he comes here. Because I know for a fact she won't let him near her. I don't want the guild to be destroyed. "The ebony haired male observed the guild master sigh before shaking his head.

The shadow mage slumped on the couch while resting his hand on his cheek. For some reason, the thought of Sting and the blonde celestial mage conversing together made him uneasy.

Rogue knew Yukino was acquainted with the blonde fairy, being that they are both celestial mages and Fairy Tail had helped the silver haired woman after she had been kicked out of Sabertooth during the GMG. So, it didn't surprise the ebony haired male that the Fairy Tail mage was clinging to the other celestial mage as the only familiarity she knew in an otherwise strange place.

But had Lucy really opened up a little to Sting as well? Was she starting to see his lighter twin as another lifeline in the Sabertooth guild?

Rogue felt a weird feeling rumbling throughout his chest when he thought of Sting, Yukino, and the blonde mage talking together. Here he was basically bonded to the woman in an odd magical way, yet he was forced to stay away from her even though the pull had his emotions going haywire while they clawed their way into his usual apathetic exterior.

"I need Lucy to consent to me being in the room with her while she sleeps so I'll have a chance to remove my magic, she doesn't even have to be alone with me. Someone else- maybe Yukino- could be there as well. As long as I am able to be next to her when the magic attacks. I might be able to draw some, if not all the magic from her. The lion spirit is going to try and convince her." Rogue watched Sting nod as his expression turned from interested to concerned.

"I don't think she is going to agree to that, Rogue. From what she told both Yukino and I, the Rogue from the future tortures her almost every night when her nightmares hit. I hate to break it to you man, but she is completely terrified of you because of what the nightmares do to her. I've never seen someone so damn terrified." Rogue narrowed his eyes. So, the fairy was opening up to Sting more. Even enough to tell him about what his future counterpart's magic was doing to her.

"What has she told you about these nightmares?" Rogue couldn't help the question as it just tumbled from his curious lips. He was a bit upset that he couldn't ask the blonde questions directly, and was forced to go off indirect conversations from others to get information that could be important. Everything that she could tell him might be able to be a clue in how to rid his foreign shadows from her celestial body. The shadow mage inwardly cringed as the blonde slayer quirked a brow while giving him a sly smile.

"Is my emotionless bastard of a partner, dare I say it, jealous?" Sting laughed as heat rose up to Rogue's face, painting his cheeks a tinted scarlet- much like his eyes. The ebony haired male turned as he clinched his fist while the overly jovial master poked fun about how he actually does have feelings.

Finally having enough of Sting's banter, Rogue turned back after he was sure his blush had faded to smack Sting upside the head with his balled fist.

"Are you going to tell me what you know, or not? Because we both know damn well I am not allowed to talk to her right now, so I have to get my information from other people!" The shadow slayer smirked as Sting rubbed his head where a whelp had started to form Rogue's abuse.

"Alright! Alright. Damn, calm down, you emo freak. I'll tell you what I know so far, but Yukino might know more than me." Rogue let his emotions calm while he listened to Sting talk, making a mental note to corner Yukino soon to get information from her as well.

"From what I was able to squeeze out of her, she had started to have nightmares right after that huge shit storm with the Eclipse Gate. She had watched the future Rogue kill her future self and was freaked by it so much that she started having nightmares. Apparently, at that time she didn't realize she had any of your crazy shadow magic in her, she actually figured that out right before she woke up earlier- something about the future Rogue telling her in her nightmare." Sting looked out the window.

"She said she can feel it now. She can feel your magic in her. Almost like it's surrounding her, like the Future you is watching her every move all the time. This damn blondie is going to go crazy if we don't do something to stop your fucking magic, Rogue." Rogue's mind ticked as it processed every single word the blonde spoke.

It made sense to him that the fairy felt like she was being ripped apart, especially since that was how it was supposed to make you feel. The only question Rogue had was why hadn't she gone insane yet? Never in all his years of using shadow dragon slaying magic had he seen someone fight off the magic as it was attacking for so damn long.

_What the hell is this woman?_

"I need to see her for myself." Rogue gazed at the stunned blonde dragon slayer, he could tell the blonde was about to protest, but the ebony haired man just held up a hand as he thought for a moment.

Yes, he definitely needed to see her, and evaluate the situation a little better. He couldn't stand not learning from the source anymore, there were just too many loose ends and too many questions for him to guess and wait.

If the fairy didn't want to see him, he wanted to hear it from her lips for himself. He was tired of everyone else telling him what to do when the celestial mage had a voice of her own.

"I need to hear it from her, I need to hear that she doesn't want to try and let me remove the magic. I don't want to hear answers from anyone else anymore about this situation, unless it is directly from her mouth to me." Rogue took in Sting's wide eyes and agape mouth, it was no doubt Rogue had just flat out told his best friend that he wasn't going to listen to anyone anymore, but he just couldn't take the tiptoeing around.

This was his guild as much as anyone else's and he was the deciding factor in the fairy's life right now.

"Should we go talk to her, then?" The ebony haired slayer felt his usual façade slip to reveal his shock. He hadn't been expecting Sting to give in so easily, even though he was glad that he did. Maybe the blonde guild master understood that it was difficult for Rogue to know what to do when he couldn't even talk to the woman himself.

Whatever it was, Rogue was grateful his friend agreed.

* * *

Lucy felt the spike of fear slide up her spine when her watery chocolate gaze locked on to that visible scarlet orb for the second time that day. Right when Yukino had stepped through the doorway, Lucy had looked up only to catch a glimmer of the man that shot fear through her very being.

But even though it was a small glimpse, she could see the shocked expression clear across his face, and even though the blonde was paralyzed by her fear, she couldn't help the curiosity as to why he looked so dazed.

"Was Leo here to keep you company while I was gone? I am glad if so, I didn't like leaving you alone. I brought up some Chicken soup and bread for you, so you need to eat now, okay?" Yukino cheerfully put the dishes down on the table before turning back to the star-struck blonde.

After not getting a response from the other celestial maiden, Yukino looked over her shoulder to see that the blonde was still sitting with a perplexed look on her face.

" Lucy?" Yukino waved her hand in front of the other celestial mages face in hopes of getting the woman's attention.

The blonde shook her head as she brought her full attention back to the silver haired girl. Yukino gave Lucy a questioning look before turning back to get the small bedside table from the other side of the room for the bedridden woman.

Lucy tried to listen to the conversation that was still going on outside, but all she heard were muffled voices. The blonde was very distracted from her physical body as her mind raced with questions as to why the shadow mage was standing just outside her door in the first place.

_Was he the one that knocked on the door. If he was, why?_

She wanted desperately to thank the crimson eyed slayer for saving her life, but she was so caught up in the adrenaline rush of fear that would course through her body every time her eyes would sweep over his lethal form. He was dangerous to her, even though she knew he was not the same man. He was still so similar that it had her on edge, and her emotions crossing over while they tried to function properly while anxiety took hold.

"Cy... Lucy. Are you okay? I've been talking to you for about two minutes, but you've just been staring at the door." Lucy gave Yukino an apologetic smile before she moved her body up a little into a sitting position. Her body screamed in agony as every little burn and cut stretched and pulled while her stitches strained against their man-made retrains.

"I'm sorry, Yukino. I just have a lot on my mind, is all. Did Rufus say anything about me being able to take a shower? I feel gross." Lucy tried to keep her attention on the other celestial mage as she brought her meal over to the table before sitting it down while the silver haired mage sat on the bed next to Lucy.

"He said that would be fine, and to just keep the bandages on while you shower so soap will not irritate your injuries too bad, we will change them once you are done. I can help you up and into the shower, and bring you another set of clothes." Lucy smiled fondly at Yukino. She was so extremely blessed to have someone as caring as her to help her in such a rough time in her life.

"I would really appreciate that, Yukino! Thank you for helping me so much, Umm... Why was he outside of the infirmary?" Lucy watched as Yukino took the bread before breaking in half and giving Lucy a small bit for her to eat. Lucy took it, staring at it for a long moment before plopping the lump in her mouth. Lucy hadn't realized how long it had been since she actually ate, as her stomach growled to be fed. Both Yukino and Lucy laughed after the noise died down.

"Who knows, Rogue just a little different and weird, we were all sitting at the table in the guildhall before he just up and left randomly, I found him talking to Leo when I came back to bring you your food." Yukino handed the blonde the bowl of chicken soup.

Lucy's mouth watered at the smell of the soup wafted up into her nostrils. She brought a spoonful up to her lips before blowing on the small contents while the infirmary door opened once again. Loke walked through the small opening as Lucy averted her eyes down to the bed, not wanting to get another glimpse of the shadow mage.

"I'm sorry, Lucy, I didn't mean to be gone so long. But there is something we need to talk about." Both celestial mages looked up the spirit while he pulled up the chair once again before sitting and putting his palm on the palm of Lucy's injured shoulder. Lucy jumped a little from the contact but calmed her heart as she took in the sight of her spirits worried eyes before she looked to Yukino once more to see her curious gaze on the lion as well.

"What is it, Loke?" Lucy swallowed the spoonful of now cold soup while she watched as Loke pushed his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose.

"Rogue may be able to take the shadows away from you... But to do that he has to be in the same room as you when the magic attacks you again." Lucy felt Loke rub his thumb onto her palm while he tried to soften the blow from the news. The blonde's eyes grew wide while she let her mind race with the small bit of information he had fed to her.

It was too soon for her to be in the same vicinity as the shadow mage, she wasn't strong enough- at least not yet. There was no way she could do what Loke was suggesting, even if it was the only way, she didn't believe she could allow him close to her.

"Loke... I can't..." Lucy started to shake a bit as her mind tried to formulate a coherent sentence. Yukino took the bowl from Lucy's lap and moved it back to the table before grabbing Lucy's other hand for herself, careful not to hurt the blonde's injured shoulder.

"Lucy, Rogue is a great person. I know the future Rogue was an evil man, but our Rogue is nothing like that monster. He would never dream of hurt you." Yukino twined her fingers with Lucy's. She used her other hand to rub her uninjured shoulder in a nurturing manner. Lucy could still feel Loke's hand on her own while she contemplated what to do.

Lucy wasn't an idiot, she knew that the future and present Rogue were two different people, but she couldn't make her emotions behave long enough for her heart to notice that difference as much as her brain did. Her heart told her no, but her mind told her it was the only way.

"I know, but I can't... I'm not strong enough to be near him, Yukino, Loke, please don't make me do this. Please!" Lucy felt the anxiety grip her heart and squeeze until she was gasping for breath, her heart raced as it clamped down harder and harder until she let out a loud sob before backing away from both the silver haired woman and her spirit, ignoring the pain shooting through her body.

_How could they try and make me do this? They don't understand._

_No one will ever understand._

"Lucy! Lucy, calm down, everything is okay, we aren't going to make you do anything you don't want to do. Shh, everything will be fine, no one is forcing you to see him. He just wants to try and help you as much as everyone else does. Hell, he came here to check up on you because you were crying, and he thought you were alone in the infirmary by yourself." The orange haired zodiac leader tried to reason with the panicking blonde.

Lucy felt her heart calm slowly when Loke's words met her ears. Had that man really came to check on her because he thought she was crying alone? Did he really want to help her? Lucy wiped the tears from her eyes.

Mavis, when did she become so pathetic?

_I'm such a complete disaster._

"Listen to me, Lucy. Wendy is on her way, she is going to heal what she can physically, and Rogue wants to help by taking away your pain mentally. He is a friend -an ally- remember? Sabertooth and Fairy Tail are on great terms now. Please calm down and think it through. You don't even have to be alone with him." Lucy flinched as Loke took her hand once more before bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss. She pulled her hand from his soft grip before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I will consider it. Just give me a little time to think it over, please." Lucy looked at her trusted spirit. He nodded his head while Yukino took her spot on the bed once again.

"Of course, princess, but I am afraid it is time for me to return to the spirit world. I'm still healing myself. Loke gave her a small smile before he turned to open his gate once again. Lucy and Yukino watched as the spirit dissipated from their world and back to his own. The blonde woman looked at her fellow celestial mage who gave her a genuine smile.

"Everything is going to be just fine, Lucy." Yukino took the bowl of soup from the table once again before placing it back onto Lucy's lap. Lucy stared at the soup and bread, she knew she was still hungry, but her anxiety attack had made her lose her appetite. The silverette sensing something was wrong, grabbed the bread once more before tearing another piece and holding it out to Lucy.

"Finish eating then you can take a shower." The Fairy Tail mage looked at the food with renewed enthusiasm at the thought of a warm inviting shower invaded her mind. Lucy took the bread from Yukino's hand before shoving it into her mouth, she ate diligently bit by bit until the bowl was empty and bread was completely gone.

Yukino smiled at Lucy before place the bowl back on the table again.

"Great! Now, let me head to my room and get a change of clothes, then I will be back, and we can get you into the shower, alright?" The short haired woman stood from the bed as Lucy nodded her head before she let out a small yawn. Though she had been asleep for some time, she was still tired and eating only made her more aware of just how exhausted she truly was.

Lucy watched Yukino open the door before slipping through and shutting it again with a click. Lucy laid back on the bed slowly being careful not to hurt her injuries too much, she couldn't wait for Wendy to get here. Maybe she could heal her just enough to where the blonde could move about more freely. Lucy yawned once more as she shifted her head onto the soft overstuffed pillow before she closed her eyes.

She would stay awake until Yukino came back, at least, that's what she kept repeating in her head before she fell back into the world of complete darkness.


	9. Chapter 9

**WARNING: Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**This chapter is Beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should go check them out!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 9**

* * *

_Lucy had told herself that she was not, under any circumstances going to fall asleep, well at least not before she was able to take a refreshing shower and replace the bedding with new clean linens._

_She'd been lying in her own filth for way too long now and she was ready to be as clean as humanly possible once again. But of course, her weary body had started to betray her as the blonde could feel herself slipping into a light sleep while she waited for the silver-haired mage to come back._

_The celestial key holder could feel her body lift up as it floated in the dark nothingness that was her unconscious mind. Once again, her vision was obstructed by the ink dark space that she had reverted back to while she slept in her borrowed bed._

_Shadows swirled around her body leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake as they traveled up the length of her well-developed body. The foreign magic danced across her skin while it licked every exposed piece of flesh in an attempt to assert its dominance over her._

_**His** _ _dominance._

_Lucy could feel the shadows as they curved around her body while the remaining magic slipped into her body just below the surface. She felt her skin crawl as the shadow magic drilled its way further into her body until it was practically merging to her pure soul. She could feel the darkness creeping over her as she fell deeper and deeper into the dark recesses of her own mind that she tried so desperately to ignore._

_She could feel her body start to fall as the shadows drug her within their depths. She tried to scream, but her voice was muted when she felt the sound die within her throat. Her body jerked when she felt something grab her leg before she was forcefully slammed to the pitch ground by the unseen force. The blonde winced when she felt the grip on her leg tighten before she was drug across the black floor. No matter where she looked she was met with the inky darkness she had come to loathe and fear._

_She tossed her head from side to side while she frantically tried to regain her composer when the invisible force released her from her restraints._

_Lucy lifted her upper body from the cool ground as she attempted to crawl away from where she had been drug, unknown particles dug into her skin while she scooted across the jagged and unkempt floor. Even though she couldn't see anything, she couldn't help but feel that she needed to get away from the general direction the force had pulled her to._

_Debris stuck into her palms when she pushed them down repeatedly to further her distance. The terrified woman let out a pained shriek as she felt her hair being grabbed before she was mercilessly pulled back the way she had come. Lucy's frantic cries echoed through the darkness as her head was snapped back around to stare into that snake-like crimson red eye once again._

_"I'm always so bored when you leave my playground. So please forgive me if I seem all too eager to play with you when you come back home to me. Yet you always try to run from me. What a shame." Lucy tried to free her hair from his hold which only tightened when he bent his head back to release a maniacal cackle._

_Lucy felt bile rise in the back of her throat as she his warm breath fanned over her cheek when he suddenly moved to bend down and rub his nose in the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Lucy's breathing stopped when she felt his tongue lick up the length of her slender pale neck all the way to her ear before he whispered into her._

_"I will be here waiting for you, every single time you fall asleep. You will never be able to escape me, because this is where I live, dear Lucy. My shadow magic will burrow into your soul and build a permanent home soon. It's only a matter of time before you become a pawn to the darkness that is residing within you." Lucy's eyes widened when she felt his sharp canines graze the tip of her ear before trailing back down along the pale flesh of her neck._

_She struggled within his grasp, scratching at the hand that held her hair just at the base of her skull. She let out a tearful shriek when she felt his chest press into hers while he brought his free hand up to hold her shoulder. His grabs were cold and painful as he pulled her forward with one hard tug before he sunk his sharp teeth into the supple flesh of her shoulder, as if he was marking her._

_Lucy sobbed uncontrollably with her body was pinned against this terrible cruel man, she felt warm liquid slid down into the crevice of her cleavage as her body shook from both fear and pain. She could feel his magic raging within her body when he pushed more of his tainted shadows into her unconscious body._

_Her body curved up into his when her back arched as the foreign magic merged with her, causing searing pain to tear through her small form. A horrifying scream finally ripped past her lips when she felt him forcefully rip his teeth from her body, causing the tearing of flesh to meet her ears. Lucy slumped back from his body as the pain overwhelmed her._

_"Red is such a magnificent color on you, I would like to see you completely covered in it." The blonde shook when she felt his hands twine with her long blonde hair to force her head back as he moved to bend down to get a better view of the skin he had marred, a sick satisfied grin played across his blood-stained lips while he admired the crimson liquid flowing from the punctures his pointed dragon slayer teeth had made._

_Lucy felt anxiety rise in her chest as she took in the crazed red eye examining his sadistic work causing her breathing to stop when he moved in closer to her, until she felt his warm tongue lap at the trail of blood that oozed its way down her body._

_The celestial mage was paralyzed with fear, so much so that she couldn't think, and she couldn't even breathe. The man moved his hand down from her shoulder to her arm before settling on the small of her back._

_Lucy panicked when she felt his hard body press into hers._

_Her mind fogged when she took in their proximity and the way his hand held her back, just above her rear. Lucy's heart fluttered within her chest as she screamed and flung her arm up into the air._

_A loud slap of skin connecting with skin filled the darkness as it cascaded and echoed through the inky vicinity. Lucy stood still as she felt him remove his hands from her before she dropped to the ground screaming in agony._

_Every part of her body felt like she was being boiled from the inside out, the foreign dark magic coursed through her as it raged just beneath the surface of her flesh. Lucy curled in on herself while she felt every fiber of her being burn in an inferno of heat she had never experienced before._

_Sure, she had been burned by Natsu more times then she could count, but the heat she felt now was more than just a burning, it was complete agony that she could only assume had to be a fire straight from the depth of hell its self. Her body felt like it was being ripped apart on the inside as the shadows forced their way through her, making her insides their sadistic playground of torture._

_"I can take the pain away. I can stop the agony, but only if you apologize for being so rude to your gracious host. After all, this is my home and you're just a guest here." Lucy didn't miss the amused tone in his voice as he bent to where his face was just inches from her own._

_Lucy bit her lip as the pain grew more intense the longer she tried to remain silent. She threw her head back when she finally let out an anguished cry when she lost the feeling in her arms as she tried to force her body upright once again._

_"I... will, never apologize to you." Lucy managed to grit out as the shadows licked around her body, she could feel the black wisps as they rose off her skin, creating a burning sensation as she resisted his will. She fisted her hands on the ground as she rolled onto her stomach, bringing her knees up to try and force her body to stand. Lucy shrieked as the heavy sole of a boot crash into her back causing her to flop back down onto her stomach. The breath whooshed out of her lungs as she was pinned to the ground with his foot._

_"I have to say, I didn't believe you would last this long. You're interesting. In fact, I am elated that you are still fighting, it will be much more enjoyable once I finally break you." Lucy screamed as she pushed her hands to the ground while she tried to force his foot from her back, she quickly forced her body up, ignoring the scorching effect that the shadows had on her._

_Her quick movement had been enough for the man to lose his balance as she felt the pressure release. Her flesh seared as she pushed her body to stand on her two feet once more, she let out a whimper while she caught her balance before she glared at the man that had also regained his footing to stare at her in some sort of daze._

_"I will never let you win, this is my body, my mind, and I will not let you overtake me so easily. I would rather die than ever admit that I need your help. This pain is not more than I can handle. I would gladly take this pain if it meant that I am one step closer to pushing you out of my subconscious and my life forever." Lucy grit out between shallow gasps of breath._

_She was in complete misery as the shadows ate her from both inside and out, but she was also proud of herself for standing up to him though she was completely terrified. Even now, as her body felt like it was about to give out at any given moment, she would never give him the satisfaction of believing that he had control over her._

_Lucy swayed on her feet as she felt the dark magic surge within her with renewed vigor as the future dragon king regained his composure to glare right back at her. The blonde had fought so hard and she wasn't ready to give up yet, but she knew she could do nothing when she felt his hand wrap around her wrist before dragging her limp body to his. The celestial mage tried not to gage as she felt his breath once again on her face._

_"You interest me, dear little Lucy Heartfillia. You are obviously out of fight, yet you talk big like you could control me, when it is in fact the other way around." Lucy tried to force his face away from hers, but he caught her other wrist when she tried to bring it up to slap him a second time. She could feel his grip tighten as he crushed both her wrist in just one of his palms before he brought his free hand up to swipe away some of her golden hair that had become matted in the drying blood on her shoulder._

_Lucy winced as she felt the hair tug at the drying blood causing the ripped punctures to bleed once again. Lucy kicked and pushed as Rogue bent his head to her shoulder once again to lick and sink his teeth into the already sore location that he has maimed._

_Lucy whimpered when his razor-sharp teeth pulled at the raw wound, she felt her body give out as her legs buckled from beneath her, she was sure she was going to drop to the ground but was surprised when one of Rogue's arms snaked around her waist to crush her to him. Nausea swept over her when she felt her body mold against his taut form for the third time. She was so damn weak, she didn't even have enough energy to push away from him when he retracted his teeth from her._

_"You taste so sweet." Lucy sobbed when she looked up to see the raw primal need in his scarlet eye while he licked her blood from his lips. He gave her a smirk as he wiped the rest of the remaining liquid with the back of his hand before he let her drop boneless to the floor. The blonde felt her body hit the uneven ground as shock and anxiety smacked her full force._

_She was terrified, why did he look at her like that? He couldn't honestly actually have taken an interest in her? Not after all the sadistic shit he had put her through. This man was fucking insane. Lucy looked up at the tall figure looming over her as she tried to drag her body across the ground in a futile attempt to escape the man who made her spine freeze._

_"I'm going to have so much fun with you, Luce..." Lucy froze as she looked back up at the eye, how even he could dare use that name!? He didn't have any idea who she even was. He had no right to call her by the nickname Natsu had given her. That was a special name that he had given her, and she damn sure was not going to let this insane man call her that._

_"I don't ever want to hear you say that name again, in fact, don't call me by anything. You don't know me." Lucy grits her teeth as she swallowed her fear and glared up as the lone glowing crimson eye. Another peel of crazed laughter rung through the darkness as he drew in closer to her._

_"I know so much more than you think, dear Lucy. I'm always with you, I'm just a figment of your imagination. Meaning, I know everything that you know." Lucy shook as she felt uncontrollable sobs rack her body._

_So, she really had gone insane? His magic was definitely here, but had she really conjured up this imaginary man? Lucy grasped her head while she shook it back and forth._

_"You're lying. I haven't gone crazy, at least not yet. There is no way I would imagine you in my dreams just to torment me." Lucy shook her head as tears streamed from her eyes. She knew that she was going to go insane eventually if she didn't figure out a way to remove his magic, but she believed she could atlease hold out until she could figure out something._

_After all she had literally just found out the reason she was having the nightmares, and now she didn't even have time to research a way to fix it?_

_"Shut up, I'm tired of hearing you talk." Lucy looked up as she was met with a wave of shadows flowing over her body, causing her back to arch as the pain shot through her being. Lucy felt her eyes roll back in her head as the magic ate at her. She barely had time to register the shifting of her weight as he pushed on her shoulders before she was pushed down onto the ground._

_Lucy's tried to retreat into solitude, but even in the recesses of her mind he controlled the shadows. She wasn't able to escape the feel of his hands as they slowly traveled from her upper body to her waist._

_"You are annoying, but your body is amazing. I hope you don't mind if I indulge myself. After all, it's not like I'm the first to do with you what I please." Lucy looked up into the crazed lust filled eyes of her tormenter, what had she done so wrong in her life to deserve this type of treatment? She couldn't help but scream as she felt Rogue's arms circle around her middle before she felt herself being lifted from the ground, into his arms, and crushed against his muscular body._

_"Don't touch me!" Lucy reached for her keys, but fumbled when she realized she didn't have them, or even her whip. She was completely defenseless in front of a blood-lusting predator that just so happened to only have his eye on her._

_Lucy whimpered as the self-proclaimed dragon king pushed her hands up against what appeared to be a black wall, before he moved his head to her neck once again, Lucy could hear him inhale deeply as if he was taking in her scent before he groaned out loud. Lucy clinched her teeth when she closed her eyes, images of the bandit restraining and defiling her flashed behind her lids while her heart skipped frantically._

_Lucy froze when she felt Rogue's hand glide along her exposed thigh before slipping to rest on her curved hip. She struggled to breathe as his rough touches, so strong and forceful reminded her of the experience she had endured not even 48 hours ago. Her head spun while he gripped her arms once again to bring them up above her head, trapping her wrists in just one of his large calloused palms._

_"Oh, are you excited, Lucy? Or maybe I have just brought up some bad memories?" Lucy tried to kick him back while she felt him push his body further into her own as he cackled. The man was obviously taking enjoyment out of her raw fear. He was using what happened between her and the bandit as a way to get to her! Was he really going to try to do the same?_

_Lucy felt cold sweat drip down her back as terror rose up her throat in the form of small whimpers and sobs. Why did she have to be so weak? This was HER mind, her body! So, what if the future Rogue did something to her, she should still be able to control her own thoughts!_

_This was just ridiculous, but she couldn't help that even if her mind had conjured up this 'figment' he sure did feel real, he knew everything about her, and knew exactly how to toy with her to where she was on the edge of an anxiety attack, and that completely terrified her._

_"If what you say is true, then you aren't real! None of this is!" Lucy choked out as his hands wandered once more, this time to her shoulder to move her blonde hair away from the blood crusted wound._

_"That may be true, but I don't have to be real to ruin your life, I'll slowly steal your sanity, first with nightmares, then eventually you'll become paranoid, you'll start to see me in dark places, your mind with conjure images. I will torment you until you are nothing but a shell, one that I will be able to control." Lucy flinched away as Rogue's face moved closer to her face while he grazed a pointed canine over her cheek before bringing her face back with his free hand to look in straight into his eye._

_"You'll be mine, completely." With that, Lucy felt his mouth on hers, she let out a startled gasp as he forcefully bit into the bottom of her lip. She could taste the metallic essence of blood as it slipped into her mouth. Lucy gagged when she felt his tongue roam over the outside of her lip, tasting the liquid for himself. She struggled against his grip, twisting and turning as his lips crashed into hers once more before he pulled back. Lucy stared back horrified as he licked his blood covered lips before releasing a satisfied growl while giving her the most sadistic grin she had ever seen before._

_Mavis, please save her!_

* * *

"So, the lion spirit actually did confirm that Blondie was the one to take out all those bandits with that crazy spell she tried to do at the GMG. She's got to be pretty powerful to do all that damage on her own, huh? She might be just as destructive as the rest of her team." Rogue stopped in his tracks as he watched Sting's retreating back. The ebony haired male knew that someone had to take out the bandits, but he didn't honestly believe that the fairy had done it all on her own, if she even had anything to do with it at all. It was an S-Class mission after all, and she proved herself to be a regular mage when she couldn't win either of her GMG battles.

So, she really was the one to defeat the bandits? That was interesting to the crimson eyed slayer, considering the fact she wasn't even able to fully complete the spell at the GMG. How could she have perfected it in just a few short weeks? Rogue was so lost in thought that he hadn't even noticed that the blonde guild master had stopped walking to turn and stare at him after he had realized Rogue wasn't following anymore.

"But she couldn't even finish the spell at the Grand Magic Games, she didn't win any of her matches." Rogue finally looked up as he waited for an answer, one that never came. Sting just shrugged while he turned back around to continue walking down the hall, Rogue followed close behind.

"Maybe she had always been that strong, and we just didn't see it." The blonde slayer suggested, Rogue shifted his gaze to his partner.

Yes, it was possible that the celestial fairy had been holding back, but Rogue didn't get that feeling from her while watching both her battles from up in their booth, it looked like she had been struggling, especially against Minerva.

The ruby-eyed male inwardly shuttered as he remembers the beating the blonde celestial mage had received from their former Lady, it had been hard to watch as his teammate mercilessly assaulted the poor woman.

"Hardly. She had to have just recently acquired that strength." Rogue ignored the undignified snort from his partner when they reached the staircase. Though he found it hard to believe that the small blonde had caused all the damage he had stumbled upon, he didn't completely dismiss it. He just wanted to know how she had come across that strength within such a short time.

"You're a jackass." Sting smacked the back of his partners head as they reached the second floor.

"Excuse me?" Rogue grabbed the blonde's cheeks before stretching them out as far as humanly possible, which caused Sting to grab the ebony haired male's ponytail and fringe in retaliation. The two slayers wrestled in the middle of the hall before Sting finally gave up when Rogue had started to draw in his shadows to make the blonde's hand slip through the thin air.

"Seriously, don't be such an ass, she's been through a lot in just a short period of time, plus we don't even really know her. If you want to know how strong she is, talk to fucking Yukino, or her teammates, or something. Geez." Rogue smirked while Sting rubbed his visibly red cheeks.

"I'm not an ass. You're one to talk, you egotistical bastard, you were laughing when Milady was thrashing her in the naval battle." Rogue fixed his hair before he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the white dragon slayer while they started walking once again. Sure, the ebony haired mage knew he could come off as a little intimidating and blunt, but that was just who he was. That didn't make him an ass. It just made him… well, him.

The slayers tensed when they came close to the infirmary, both men could feel the magical pressure coming from the other side of the room, letting them both know that the dark shadow magic had returned once again.

Rogue threw a quick glance to Sting before he rushed to the door, his hand gripped the handle while he took in a deep breath. The shadow dragon slayer braced himself as he ripped open the door while the rush of the fairy's unusual scent crashed into him, causing his nostrils to flare as he felt the familiar magic permeate the room.

Both Rogue and Sting froze as they took in the sight of the only occupant in the infirmary.

Rogue couldn't stop the sharp intake of breath while he watched black wisps of shadows lick at the celestial mage's body. The magic twisted and warped its way around her as it created a flame-like appearance. The girl's face was contorted in a mix of anguish and agony while her back arched off the bed, her hands balled into fists tightly by her side.

The shadow slayer hardly took notice of Sting ducking his head back out of the room to yell for someone to get Yukino and Rufus. He was too caught up in watching the dark magic dance across her skin as it ate away at her very being.

Rogue had never seen his shadow magic radiate from someone like it was doing to the fairy. It was uncontrolled as it violent thrashed about at the top of her skin, and was obviously too much for the woman to handle as she softly whimpered while her body seized up. The crimson eyed mage could only imagine the raw pain and suffering the blonde must be enduring. He felt bile rise in his throat when the thought that it was his future counterpart that had caused the celestial mage's pain in the first place.

Indirectly, he was to blame for all of this.

A scream ripped from the fairy's lips as they trembled in terror, causing Rogue to spring from his rooted spot by the door. He moved over to the bed ignoring the tingling of his own magic as it begged to mingle with the darker shadows. Rogue examined the celestial mages face while she thrashed her head against the pillow, tears streaming from her clenched eyes.

The shadow mage cautiously pushed his hand through the flame-like shadows, pausing when he felt the powerful magic pull on his own. He let his hand rest on the celestial mage's forehead while he brought his other to rest on the back of her neck to keep her from thrashing about. He slowly moved to sit on the edge of the bed while he leaned his head over hers to concentrate while he tried to force some of the dark magic from the woman.

The shadows surrounding the female mage pulsated violently as Rogue tried to carefully force them from their hiding places within the blonde woman. Even though he didn't exactly know if the same method he used the first time to drive some of the shadows out would work a second time, he proceeded with great caution. Who knew what the lasting effects could be if he ripped out too much of the magic all at once, especially if it had started to merge with her celestial magic, or worst, her soul.

Rogue glanced to the doorway when he noticed three figures step through. All eyes were on him as they watched in shock and concern while he tried to calm the raging magic that was in a whirl-winded frenzy as it lapped at both his and the fairy's body. His ebony hair flew around his face as the magic grew in power.

"The magical power is spiking too high, if I remove any of the magic while she is like this, I might accidentally hurt her. I have to wake her up." Rogue glanced back at the small group that had formed while he had been trying and failing to extract some of the erratic magic.

"Rogue, can't you just eat the shadows or something, this is getting pretty out of hand!" Yukino yelled from across the room, Rogue had no doubt in his mind that she was frightened for the other celestial mage while she hugged what looked to be clothing to her chest. They had become so close in such unfortunate ways.

"No, I can't these are dark and tainted shadows, they are not normal like my own. They could make me extremely sick, and then I wouldn't be able to help her at all." The shadow mage shook his head while he ran his fingers through the blonde wizard's hair, he had no idea why he felt like that was the right thing to do, but being up so close to her while having her scent sucker punch him in the face made him feel like he needed to comfort her.

She was obviously terrified and in pain, and he couldn't help but feel responsible for her agony. The least he could do was try to comfort her, no matter how bad he may be at it.

Rogue ran his fingers through her hair one last time, letting it linger at the top of her head while he prepared himself to wake the unconscious woman. He pulled away from her head slightly before he looked down at her face once more.

The crimson eyed male couldn't control the gasp that escaped past his open mouth when he witnessed the blonde's watery eyes suddenly snapped open. Rogue was surprised by the unexpected movement, but it wasn't the suddenness that had startled the slayer into an interested shocked daze.

No, what had shocked him the most was that her usual chocolate brown irises were non-existent as he stared into her eyes. There he sat, on the edge of the fairy's bed, staring straight at her face, only to be met with a pair of crimson red irises that mirrored his own.

Rogue's mouth fell open while he tried to form a coherent sentence to tell the emotionless women that he was not going to hurt her but as soon as he thought he was able to formulate a proper sentence, he was sent sailing back into the infirmary wall with a loud thump as he slumped to the ground in a daze. The magic that was dancing on the blonde's skin had flared up one final time as if the power was rejecting his touch.

Rogue looked up at the bed from his spot on the floor, the fairy remained motionless while the shadows slowly died down and eventually dissipated completely. He snapped out of his shocked phrase as soon as he heard a heart-wrenching sob come from atop the mattress before Yukino dropped the clothes to the floor to run to the other celestial mages side. Sting walked over to where Rogue had been tossed to lend him a hand to help him up.

The ebony haired male took the offered hand as he let Sting help him up, but promptly brushed Sting aside to walk back over to the bed. Yukino had wrapped her arms around the sobbing fairy, cradling her to her chest like a mother would do to a small frightened child. The crimson eyed slayer knew he was not imagining things, the fairy had actually controlled the shadows, forcing them to push him away from her as soon as her blood red eyes had opened.

"Did you just control those shadows?" Rogue stood looming over both the celestial mages as he waited for the crying woman to answer. He had questions, and he wanted them answered.

Now.

If she was able to control the shadows, even just a little, then that meant that the magic had gone as far as adhering its self not only to her body and mind but to her actual being, something that could either kill her, or make her extremely dangerous. The shadows would no longer be a foreign element in her body.

"Rogue, back off. That's not how you talk to someone who is already scared shitless of you!" The shadow dragon slayer deflated a little when the silver-haired woman glared up at him. He knew she was right, but this information was extremely important, and he needed to know now.

"Please Yukino, this is very important, you know I'm not trying to scare her." Rogue hated when it sounded like he was begging, but right now he was willing to do whatever it took to get answers from the sobbing blonde in Yukino's arms.

The shorted haired woman alternated her line of sight from Rogue and Sting to Lucy a few times. The blonde slayer walked over to pat her, causing her concerned and confused face to land on his face. Sting rubbed her back before he nodded his approval. Yukino looked down at Lucy once more before looking back at Rogue to nod.

"Lucy, did you make that magic attack Rogue?" Yukino whispered into the blonde's ear just loud enough for both the dragon slayers to hear as well. Rogue's breathing hitched as he watched the blonde lift her head up a little to look up at him, but she quickly averted her gaze back to the mattress.

Her eyes were brown again, but he knew for a fact that he had seen her eyes when she first opened them, and they were the exact the same color as his. But why where they brown again?

Just another question to add to the ongoing list.

"I don't know." He heard the soft whisper as it carried through the infirmary, her light, and timid voice, coated with the evidence of her trembling made his heart skip. It was such a hypnotic sound. Of course, he had heard it before, when she was yelling and cheering for her teammates during the GMG. But right now, with her scent, his magic, and the knowledge of her eyes changing to match his own thrown into the mix, he just couldn't stop from gazing down at her.

"Please, stop staring at me." Rogue frowned when her voice trembled while she pleaded.

Such a nice voice shouldn't be laced which such fear.

Rogue looked away to take in the damage that had been done to the room where he had landed against the wall had cracked just a bit, but not too bad. It was still a powerful hit, though.

"I know you detest me and I make you uncomfortable, but I need to ask you a few questions. I need to know what is happening, so I can get a better understanding of how to help you." The dark haired man kept his eyes on a corner of the wall while he talked. He didn't miss the small intake of breath as she tried to calm her nerves before speaking.

"Look, I don't hate you or anything. I can't hate you when you haven't done anything wrong to me. I realize that you are not the same person as the man that caused so much destruction after the Grand Magic Games. But it is hard for me to differentiate between the two of you sometimes." Rogue snapped his head back to stare openly at the blonde who has her eyes trained on the mattress while she fidgeted under his gaze.

She didn't hate him, and she didn't blame him for all the pain and suffering she was enduring? Had she already gone insane? Rogue was shocked, he was almost completely positive that this small woman would have developed a loathing hatred towards him. He wouldn't blame her if she did, of course.

Just look at all the reason she had to despise him, and the list was pretty long. But something about Lucy reassuring Rogue that she doesn't hate him, made the male want to sigh in relief. Maybe they would be able to figure out what exactly was going on with her, together.

"I don't think I can control the magic, it felt like I was burning from a whole different type of heat I never experienced before, and trust me I've been burned a lot since I've joined Fairy Tail." Rogue listened when the fairy sniffled as her voice shook while she explained. He was slightly upset that she was refusing to look up at him while she spoke, but it was understandable, he was just relieved she was talking to him a little. He had felt so left out of the loop since he brought her to Sabertooth.

"He... he said I made him up, that he's just a figment of my imagination that has been conjured, though his magic is definitely as real as you and me, but…" She trailed off as a whimper escaped her open mouth. The slayer watched as Yukino rubbed her back, urging her to go on.

Lucy shivered as she remembered the nightmare she had just woken from. Through the intense pain caused by the shadows, she could feel a pressure on the back of her head as if someone was gently running their fingers through her hair.

"He said that even though I imagined him, he will always be there to torture me. He will always wait until I fall asleep, so he can 'enjoy' his time with me. Everything always feels so real in my nightmares. Everything." Rogue's eyes shifted to watch the Fairy Tail mage grip the sheets of the bed tighter as her body tensed. He felt a hint of implied wording at the end of her sentence.

Just what exactly happened in her nightmares that could cause magic to physically manifest on its own, what type of sick twisted games did his older self put this already traumatized woman through?

"What did he do to you in your nightmare?" The ebony haired man couldn't help the deep growl that rumbled low in his chest as his words slid past his mouth without him thinking of the repercussions. The fairy shivered violently while she shot her head up to look at him, fear evident in her horrified gaze. She tried to push away from Yukino to move closer to the edge of the bed before Rufus stepped in to keep her from trying to get up, which caused her to scream as he touched her arm.

Rogue hadn't been thinking when he had let the growl reverberate through the room, he had all but forgotten just how afraid she still was of him, and he let his carelessness send her straight into an anxiety attack as she tried to move far away from him.

Maybe Sting was right, he was an ass.

_Fuck._

Just as he was finally getting some answers from her he had to go and scare her. The shadow dragon slayer took a small step back while Yukino tried to calm the hysterical blonde.

"Lucy, Lucy it's okay, I'm here. Sting is here, that's the present Rogue, remember. He's not going to hurt you, he's trying to help you. I'm sure he didn't mean to scare you. "The silverette sent a death glare over her shoulder while she consoled the hyperventilating blonde.

Both Sting and Rufus send the ebony haired slayer questioning and irritated looks while they remained standing still, Yukino had finally calmed Lucy down enough that she was breathing normally once again.

Just as Lucy was settling back down on the mattress once again the door opened to reveal both Lector and Frosch. Rogue took notice of Frosch's teary eyes before he waddled over to jump onto the bed between both the celestial mages. Rogue carefully analyzed the blonde, scrutinizing her reaction to the close proximity of Frosch. He didn't want his feline companion to get hurt if for some reason she was afraid of him touching her as well.

"Miss Fairy! Fro has been so worried about you, Rogue wouldn't let me come to see you, but I couldn't wait any longer, is Miss Fairy feeling better, do you want some fish, Miss Fairy?" Rogue sweat dropped as he watched the fear in the girl's eyes be replaced with hearts before she grabbed Frosch in her good arm and hugged him too her chest, making the ebony haired slayer worry about the little cat suffocating.

Rogue was about to try and snatch the Pick frog suit exceed from the Fairy's arms before he heard a soft laugh ring through the infirmary. He stopped to watch as the blonde cuddle Frosch closer to her, taking comfort in his presence.

"You remind me of Natsu's exceed, Happy. It makes me feel a bit better. I'm Lucy, and you are Frosch, right?" The shadow mage couldn't help the small smile that rose to his lips when Frosch properly introduced himself, as Fro, of course. Rogue took the moment of peace to step closer.

"I'm sorry I frightened you. I didn't realize that would upset you earlier. I didn't mean to make my words sound so forceful." Rogue stepped forward while Lucy settled back in the bed with Frosch in her lap before turning her chocolate gaze to his. Hesitation and fear still lingered in her eyes as the slayer moved a little closer to the bed before he lowered himself to his knees to the point where he was just a bit shorter than eye level with her and full eye level with Frosch.

"Frosch is my exceed and he was with me when we found you on that trail. He's been extremely worried about you, even though we didn't know exactly who you were at the time." Rogue brought his hand up to pat Frosch's head as the little cat beamed up at him.

Frosch was such a great friend, and he knew the blonde woman needed something familiar to her around, and if Frosch was what she needed, the slayer guessed he could share the little feline for a bit.

"I... I never got to thank you for saving my life..." Rogue looked up from Frosch to see the blonde fidgeting as she obviously felt uncomfortable, a light pink color flushed her tear stained cheeks. The shadow mage stood up and moved back closer to where the others had been standing, not wanting to upset her again by being so close.

"I just did what was right. No need to thank me." Rogue looked away when he could feel the heat rise to his face. He was never good at this sort of stuff. He didn't want to feel like anyone owed him anything, and for her to say that he saved her life made him actually feel a bit uncomfortable himself. Sting took notice of his partners blushing cheeks as the dark-haired slayer tried to hide it from the two women.

Sting smirked as he slapped Rogue's back while clearing his throat.

"Well, what do you say we let blondie take her shower, the first group from Fairy Tail will probably be here in the morning, meaning we got a lot of shit we have to put away before they get here, just in case things get a little crazy." Sting grabbed Rogue by the back of his shirt before he tried to drag the shadow dragon slayer out the door. But before Sting could fully accomplish his goal, the shadow dragon slayer forced him away, so he could ask an important question that he almost forgot about.

The whole reason they even came to the infirmary was to see if she would be okay with him staying with her at nights, while she slept so he could work on forcing the shadows away from her. If he left now without asking, he might not get to try tonight before the first group from Fairy Tail arrives. Once they do arrive, the slayer would have to tread carefully depending on who was in the first group.

"The spirit did tell you, what had to be done in order to remove the shadows, correct?" Rogue watched as the blonde visibly gulped before she nodded her head slightly, causing her blonde locks to cover her eyes. The shadow mage waited for her to answer the question he knew she already knew was being implied.

"As long as Yukino agrees to stay and if I can cuddle with Frosch… Then, I guess there would be no harm in you staying in here, if I can even fall asleep again after that last nightmare… It still has me a little... Disturbed." Rogue watched her shoulder tensed at the last part of her sentence, which had him wondering just what happened.

It must have been bad to cause such a reaction from the magic. He would have to watch her close since she wanted to keep Frosch at night as well. He didn't want him getting hurt if the shadows decided to go haywire once more.

"I can agree to those terms. I will be back later tonight once I am sure you have fallen asleep." Rogue told Frosch goodbye before he stepped into the hallway where both Sting and Rufus were waiting for him.

"So… she's pretty cute, huh, Rogue? Will this be your first time having a sleepover with girls?" The ebony haired slayer faltered in his steps while he whipped his head around to glare at the blonde slayer before whacking him upside the head. Rufus causally walked away as both the slayers began to fight in the middle of the hallway once again.

"What was that for?! I saw the way you were blushing you emo freak, when's the last time you even looked at a girl. I'm just trying to help you out, damn!" The blonde slayer threw his hands up in the air in defeat as Rogue whacked him once again.

"Oh, would you just be quiet. Like you said, we have a lot of work to do before the first group of Fairy's arrive in the morning." Rogue waved Sting off as he walked down the hallway.

Fucking Sting always trying to get in his business! Of course, the woman was cute. Any man with a working set of eyes could see she was beautiful.

That was beside the point, the blonde fairy was damaged in more ways than one, and he would be surprised if she let anyone close to her again, especially him. The shadow dragon slayer was part of the problem as well as the solution, and he couldn't afford to get himself more involved with her than he already was.

It was a sad and unfortunate truth, especially if the shadows had already started to join with her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! I'm so excited to hear your thoughts, so please don't be shy! Feel free to leave me questions in the reviews, or let me know what you think might happen next. I love hearing from you all!**

**WARNING: Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

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**CHAPTER 10**

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Lucy let Yukino help her into the steaming confines of the shower in the small infirmary bathroom. The blonde had anticipated that she was going to be in pain as soon as her feet hit the ground, but she hadn't expected the excruciating way her body felt like it being ripped from the inside out as she shakily pushed her legs down until her feet hit the cold floor.

The celestial key holder's legs wobbled under her own unaccustomed weight when she tried to stand by herself causing her to stumble a bit. Lucy watched as the silver-haired mage almost had a heart attack from watching the blonde's leg buckle out from under her while she let out a sharp gasp.

Lucy had been able to catch herself in time with her uninjured arm on the mattress before she fell to the floor. After that small incident, The Fairy Tail mage had reluctantly let Yukino help her wobble into the bathroom.

Lucy blushed when the silver-haired woman pulled the blood-stained pale pink top over her blonde head, taking special care to watch her shoulder as the fabric slipped over her then fell to the floor. Lucy looked down to the ground where the shirt pooled beside her feet, she felt guilty for ruining such a cute top that surely belonged to the Sabertooth celestial mage.

Lucy averted her gaze when she felt Yukino's hands tug at the waistband of her borrowed pajama shorts. She had tried to pull the shorts off by herself but had found it extremely difficult with one hand and not to mention that every time she attempted to bend even a little bit her abdominal muscles would scream in protest from the forced strain.

The stained garment fell to the floor to join the top as the short-haired celestial mage stood back up to turn and check the water temperature before deeming it ready for the Blonde. She helped Lucy safely into the shower before shutting the curtains to give the Fairy Tail mage privacy.

Lucy hissed when the warm water splashed over her abused body. Her scorched flesh simmered back to life as the water tumbled onto her sensitive skin. The blonde grit her teeth while she let the water continue its assault on her wary and worn body, enjoying the delightful torture as the water washed away the reminisce of her struggle just days ago.

"Are you okay, Lucy? Do you need my help to wash your body?" Lucy looked over at the silhouette of the other celestial mage through the shower curtain. Lucy hasn't actually thought that far ahead and she felt embarrassed as she nodded her head before realizing that she actually needed to voice her answer.

"I don't want to be a bother, I know I have been taking up so much of not only yours but everyone else's time." Lucy bit her lip as she looked back down at her scarred and dirty body. She didn't want to feel so helpless and weak, but the blonde knew she wouldn't be able to bend to clean over half of her body.

"..But.. I would really appreciate the help. I'm so sorry, Yukino. I don't want to be a burden to you." Lucy felt tears slip past her eyes while she watched the curtain pull open before she was staring into furious brown eyes. Lucy was startled by the fire burning in the silver hair girl's chocolate orbs.

"Lucy Heartfilia, you are NOT a burden! Helping you is the least I can do to repay you for the kindness you showed me when I needed it when I was kicked out of sabertooth at the Grand Magic Games. I watched you give all your strength and power in not only your battles but during the Eclipse Gate fiasco. So don't you dare feel guilty for needing help, you can't carry your sorrow and pain by yourself and you don't have to, at least not anymore!" Lucy's eyes widened as she watched Yukino throw her hands around while she spoke from her heart.

The blonde couldn't help but sigh when she felt an imaginary weight lift off her shoulders. She felt her body move on its own as she reached out of the shower to hug the raging silverette awkwardly around her shoulder with her one arm, almost falling over in the process. Yukino kept Lucy steady as she wrapped her arms around the crying blonde.

"I promise, no one here at sabertooth thinks that you are a burden, Lucy, so please stop thinking those sorts of awful things." Yukino moved to unraveled herself from the blonde's embrace as she grabbed the bath sponge she had brought from her room before she stepped into the shower not caring in the slightest how her wet clothes clung to her body in the process.

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"Rogue, are we both staying with Miss Fairy tonight?" Said dragon slayer turned to look down at the ground where Frosch was retracting his little wings just as his little pink covered paws hit the floor. The ebony haired male quickly scooped the little exceed up from the floor and turned to continue the walk back in the direction of their room.

"I thought you were staying in the infirmary with Yukino and the fairy, Frosch. Why are you here?" Rogue looked at his little friend while he made his way back up the staircase. It was now pitch dark outside creating shadows in the usually well light staircase. Rogue used the shadows to carry them faster to their room.

"Fro was!... But Miss Fairy and Yuki were in the bathroom together for a long time, so Fro came to see Rogue!" Rogue thought of both Fro and Sting's words before they left the infirmary. The silver-haired woman must be helping the Fairy Tail mage shower.

Rogue blushed as his nose started to bleed profusely while he tried desperately to force the thought of the two women in the shower together out of his mind. Rogue materialized right before opening their bedroom door.

Rogue didn't have any idea what had come over him the past couple of days, but he did know that he had started to act strangely the night he had come across the beaten fairy. The woman had a way of intriguing and annoying him all at the same time, and she didn't even know it.

"Yes Frosch, I do believe we will be staying in the infirmary tonight, are you okay with that?" Rogue set the little green exceed on their bed while he moved to take off his usual day clothes, he undid his sash and let his half kimono and pants fall to the floor before removing the heavy armor adorning his body. After he kicked his boots and worn clothes to the side, Rogue opted for a gray long sleeve shirt and a pair of red plaid pajama pants. He might as well at least make himself comfortable if he was going to be watching the sleeping fairy all night.

"Yes! Fro is okay with that! Fro likes Miss Fairy!" Rogue turned back to the bed with a small smile as he watched the tiny green cat jump up and down on the bed excited about the informal sleepover. Sometimes the ebony haired male wished he could be as carefree as his friends, but he knew that just wasn't possible. He had to keep his defenses up at all times unless he wanted his magic to consume him. It would be so easy for it to overtake him if he wasn't careful.

"That's good, Frosch. I believe she likes you as well, and I know she needs friends right now." Rogue pat Frosch's head while he sat down on the end of their bed. The crimson eyed male was worn from the hectic day, but he wasn't exactly tired.

"Rogue can be Miss Fairy's friend too." Rogue turned to look at the innocent exceed. He knew that Frosch didn't know anything about what was going on with the blonde woman occupying the infirmary, and he didn't know how to tell him that the possibility of them being 'friends' was highly unlikely. The fairy only agreed to let him in the room with her because they wouldn't be alone and because she didn't think she was going to be able to fall asleep anyways.

"Frosch, I'm going to keep my distance from her. It's complicated, but trust me I would be her friend if this was under different circumstances." Rogue didn't miss the confused expression that crossed over Frosch's face as his eyebrows knit together. Of course, he didn't understand. Rogue sighed, he really didn't know how else to explain it.

"Miss Fairy doesn't like Rogue?" A frown pulled at Frosch's mouth as he became disappointed.

"It's not her fault, it's mine, please don't worry about it, Frosch. Just be a great friend to her for the both of us." Rogue put the small feline in his lap while he rubbed the little exceeds head through the pink frog costume. The shadow slayer could tell Frosch still wasn't satisfied with that answer, but he answered with a small "Hai", before curling into a ball on Rogue's lap. It didn't take long before the shadow mage heard soft snores coming from the little ball curled and nestled close to his stomach.

Rogue laid his head back on the mattress, being careful not to wake the sleeping cat. It was going to be a really long night and even though he knew that fact, the slayer still didn't even care enough to even try and take a nap before returning to the infirmary. Crimson eyes stared up at the ceiling pondering ways to make the process of removing the shadows from the woman simpler, when a thought struck him.

Her bright and beautiful chocolate eyes had changed to a deep crimson red when she first woke from her sleep earlier. Did that mean that future Rogue's dark shadow magic was succeeding in taking her over? Rogue pondered the thought more as he brought his hand to his head. If he wasn't able to remove most of the tainted shadows soon, did that mean she would be lost forever?

Rogue grunted as he threw both of his arms onto the mattress beside his head before letting out a frustrated growl. The shadow dragon slayer really hated his future self, in the crazed man's careless act of revenge, he had successfully pulled the present Rogue into a paradox where now he was forced to fix his future self's mistake. How odd was that? Usually, it's the future's self that would have to worry about the mistakes they made in the past coming back to bite them in the ass, but no. Here he was, trying to fix the shit storm that his future self had somehow left behind.

Rogue carefully removed Frosh from his lap while he pushed himself to stand on his feet. He wasn't going to get anywhere just lying in his bed staring at the ceiling. Rogue flung the door open before he used the shadows to carry himself back down the stairs, it had been almost an hour since he had left the infirmary. Surely they would be done by now?

Maybe the blonde would let Rogue try to force some of the shadows out of her while she was still awake. If she ends up having another episode like earlier, he wouldn't be able to even attempt to try again. Plus they didn't even know if he absolutely had to try while she was sleeping, it was just a hypothesis after all.

Rogue reemerged a few feet away from the infirmary door, he glared at it for a minute as if his sight alone would make the door swing open. What if they weren't done yet? What if she just sends him away, what would he do then? He didn't really have anything else to do, and he was sure that Sting was probably passed out by now. He could always go back to his room and just wait, but he was just so BORED. Rogue sighed as he brought his hand up to the door before tapping his knuckles against the hardwood, then he waited.

* * *

Lucy felt shivers run down her spine when the cool air kissed her wet skin. Yukino had jumped out of the shower a few minutes before Lucy so she could change the sheets on the infirmary bed for her while she rinsed the suds of soap from her body. Lucy stood in the bathroom with a towel covering her body as she waited for Yukino to bring her clothes to wear.

"Okay Lucy, you can come here!" Lucy frowned as she walked out of the bathroom. As soon as the cool air of the infirmary hit her wet skin she shivered while regretting leaving the steamy confines of the bathroom. The blonde carefully and awkwardly walked over to the bed while she tried to cover herself further to rid herself of the freezing cold. Yukino sat on the edge of the bed with a small bedside table full of medicines and salves close to her before she motioned for Lucy to come closer.

"Alright, take off the towel. I have to remove these old bandages to put on new ones." Lucy stared at the determined silver head girl, the Fairy Tail mage shook her head before she complied and removed the towel to set it in on the bed. Lucy felt the air hit her newly exposed body as another shiver racked her freezing body. Lucy moved to stand in front of the other celestial mage as she moved to put on gloves before prodding at the blonde's slightly damp body with antiseptic medicines.

Lucy closed her eyes while she bit her bottom lip when she felt the silverette slowly remove the bandages. The tape had thankfully loosed from the steamy shower, making them easier to remove without hurting Lucy too much. The fairy pushed her good arm up to her chest, trying to get a better view of the stitch job adorning her taut abdomen.

The angry red flesh puckered as it pushed on each of the sewn sides while the skin around it had bubbled from the electrocution. Lucy frowned down at her body, there was no way Wendy would be able to heal it enough to where there wouldn't be scar damage.

Lucy felt Yukino's hands as they gently rubbed the medicine on various parts of her body, making her even more aware of exactly where every burn and cut had made a home on her once clear porcelain skin. The blonde looked back at the bathroom, she could see the small mirror that hung low on the wall above the sink, she hadn't even got to get a good look at herself yet. She already knew her face must have been a complete mess not only from the beating she had endured but from all her crying which had to have left her eyes red and swollen.

What a weak pathetic girl she must look like right now, Just like after her second match at the grand magic games, but one hundred times worse.

Lucy jumped as she heard soft tapping reverberate through the infirmary as someone knocked on the wood of the entry door. She watched as Yukino stood while taking off the gloves indicating that she was done covering up Lucy's wounds once more before she picked up Lucy's discarded towel from the bed and gently wrapped it around the blonde's body and tucking one side underneath the other. Once Yukino was sure Lucy's towel and her own were secure, the Fairy Tail mage watched as the short-haired woman made her way to the door before opening it just a bit to see who was knocking on the door.

Lucy tried to move to where she could see who was standing on the other side of the door, but was having a hard time looking over the other celestial mage's shoulder from a distance. Lucy tried to bend the top portion of her body a little further to see around Yukino but gasped as she leaned just a little too far and started to lose her footing before she started to fall.

Lucy heard the door slam against the wall as time slowed while she waited for her body to impact on the infirmary floor, but the excruciating pain she was expecting never came. Instead, the blonde felt her body being pulled by her uninjured arm until she was falling the opposite way causing her body to collide with another firm, yet soft surface. Lucy felt her body steady before she opened her eyes to stare into a gray cotton-covered chest.

Brown orbs looked to the side causing her gazes to lock onto the shocked expression of Yukino who still stood by the wide open door. If the silver-haired mage was still by the door, then that meant that Lucy was caught by the person who was knocking on the door, and given the stature of the body the blonde was half pressed against, she could tell it was a male.

Lucy Looked down at the ground as she tried to step back from the male that had stopped her descent to the ground, she knew it would be the proper thing to do to thank him, but she couldn't bring herself to look up and meet the eyes of her savior, let alone talk.

The blonde covered her chest when she suddenly remembered her state of undress. The silver-haired celestial mage must have sensed her distress as she moved closer to Lucy before turning her so that she was facing her instead of the male that Lucy had just been pressed against.

"Lucy, are you okay? Your stitches didn't pop, did they?" Lucy blushed when she realized Yukino was just as undressed as she was while she was hugged against Yukino's large towel covered chest. Lucy felt the man walk past her, causing the air to shift while he moved through the room at an alarming speed. The blonde could feel a pull from deep within her body causing the dark hidden magic within her to purr.

"Wait, Rogue! I have a favor to ask before you leave, please wait outside for a second while I get Lucy in bed!" Lucy felt ice as cold as the magic Gray wielded run up the length of her spine. Yukino's words pierced her ears causing the words bounced around in her head before she turned to watch the retreating figure. The fairy observed the door slowly close right before she was able to stare at the shadow dragon slayer.

Lucy whipped her head back around to stare at a frantic Yukino as she pulled Lucy's towel over to check and make sure her abdomen hadn't started to bleed. Once Yukino was sure that nothing was wrong, the blonde watched the other celestial maiden's brown eyes take in Lucy's startled form.

"Was.. Did he.. Did he save me.. again?" Lucy felt herself choke as she struggled to get the words out. She was in a madhouse of emotions, part of her was completely terrified that he had touched her while she was half naked, and the other part of her wanted to thank him for saving her from what she was sure was going to cause her even more physical pain than she was already in. The blonde felt like she was going to be sick, she didn't know how to feel, so she didn't, she just opted to stare into Yukino's concerned eyes.

"He acted as soon as he heard you gasp. I didn't know what was going on, but Rogue has a sixth sense on top of his already heightened senses, so he must have known you were going to fall." Yukino tried to explain to her.

"Give me one second okay? I've got to ask Rogue something real fast." The blonde woman only nodded as she carefully sat on the bed while she felt nausea overtake her causing her to gently fall back before covering her eyes with her good arm. Why was she always getting into odd situations? She shouldn't have been so nosey in the first place.

* * *

Rogue waited by the door making sure to keep a well enough distance away from it just in case the fairy was the one to open it, he didn't want to scare her any more than he already has. He heard feet pad across the floor before the door cracked open a bit revealing silver hair and brown eyes.

Rogue sighed as he moved a little closer to the door so he could talk to Yukino. He was an idiot to think the blonde would answer the door, especially when the silverette was with her. The ebony haired male watched as the door opened wider giving way to expose some of Yukino's body to his confused gaze. Why was she also wearing a towel?

"Why are you here so early, Lucy hasn't fallen asleep yet, oh, but I have a favor to ask!" Rogue watched the curious silver hair mage lift an eyebrow before he turned a little to keep his eyes trained on nothing in particular down the hallway so he wouldn't get accused of ogling her womanly assets.

"I was bored. What's the favor?" Rogue listened as Yukino was about to say something but cut her off when a small gasp met his acute hearing. Rogue turned quickly, peering through the small opening in the door behind Yukino to watch the blonde fairy clad in only a towel about to fall face first to the ground.

Rogue moved past the flabbergasted short-haired woman, making the door slam into the wall as he used the small shadows littering the room to give him a boost just in time to catch the blonde by the arm while he stopped behind her causing the girl to spin around right into his chest. Rogue let out a small sigh when her scent covered him with her sweet yet dark aroma.

Rogue felt his shadows strain against his magical barrier, begging to be released so they could merge with the darker magic hidden deep within the celestial mage's body. The slayer moved back when he felt the woman freeze in place before she moved her head to the side.

He could practically feel the anxiety rolling off her. She was conflicted and it was entirely his fault once again. He had said he wasn't going to get close to her again unless it was for him to try to remove his magic from her, yet here he was- so close he could feel the shadows deep within her pulsing to be set free.

Rogue stood still while he waited for the blonde to catch her balance, he expected her to push away from him as soon as she registered that she had bumped into him, but that didn't seem to be the case with her body still partially pressed into his.

The slayer blanched as he tried to decide if he should move away first or wait for her to move. He could feel his magic push harder on his boundaries before the fairy finally took a step back. Rogue inwardly sighed a breath of relief when the desperate shadows calmed ever so slightly when she moved away from him. It was still annoying, but at least he didn't feel like he was about to lose complete control of his magic.

He needed to get out of that damn room right now, obviously, he wasn't going to be able to get anywhere with her while she was awake especially not after that little accident. He was almost positive that was going to be a major drawback from the progress that they had made just a couple of short hours ago.

Crimson eyes watched the woman cover herself before letting her head down for her hair to cover her eyes. Rogue used that chance to sweep past her.

Before he could even make it out of the room Yukino asked him if he could wait outside. Rogue wanted to just get out of the infirmary, maybe if he was at least a little further from the room he would be able to think clearly and the tugging he felt toward the blonde would calm.

Rogue shut the door behind him after making sure to give Yukino a small nod and the blonde one last glance. Once he was alone in the hallway, Rogue took the chance to catch his breath, for some reason he had been so extremely concerned when the fairy was about to crash to the floor. After all, he didn't want her any more hurt than she already was, but this wasn't a just genuine concern.

The dragon slayer felt like his chest was going to explode when he saw the poor women wobble and try to catch herself from the inevitable fall to the ground. Rogue hadn't even cared she was only in a towel and that she was still scared of him.

No, his only concern was to stop her descent to the hard floor below her.

Almost as if his instincts had driven him into that room.

Rogue ran a hand through his unsecured fringed before he let out a small chuckle. His life was just getting more and more frustrating by the minute and he hated it. The ebony haired male had never felt such a strong bond with anyone, not even Frosch or Sting. The bond he held with the fairy was making him feel like a completely different person.

He didn't even know her, and yet his magic has claimed her as its own, not even recognizing the fact that she was indeed a different host making it hard for the slayer to keep his shadows contained when she was near him, especially when she was terrified, it seemed to cause his magic to activate through her.

How was he supposed to live knowing that this celestial mage had a part of him inside her that may possibly be able to control his magic just as he does?

Rogue dropped his thoughts when he heard the click of the door opening up to reveal Yukino who was now wearing a baggy dark blue t-shirt and short pink pajama shorts. Rogue could tell the silver-haired mage was tired just by looking at her give him a small smile. She shut the door softly behind her before she came to stand in front him. Rogue pushed himself off the wall as he waited for Yukino to speak.

"Thanks for catching Lucy. She is a little shook up, but she didn't even know you were the one that had caught her until I said something to you when you were leaving. I think she wants to tell you thank you, but she's scared. Anyway, could you please go to my room and get some clothes for Lucy to wear. I know this is weird, but I kind of ended up having to wear the clothes I brought for her earlier." Rogue sweat dropped while he listened to Yukino ramble on.

How was he supposed to know what women are supposed to wear? And wouldn't that mean he would have to dig through Yukino's drawers or closet? If Sting found out he would be so pissed off.

Actually, now that he thought about it, it would just be another way to irritate his blonde partner. The ebony haired slayer smirked a little to his self, not noticing the way Yukino cringed away from his creepy smile.

"You know what? Maybe I should just go get them myself." The silver-haired woman scrutinized the shadow dragon slayer. Rogue dropped his smirk at the tone of her voice, did she really think he was being a pervert?

Because he could assure her right now that he had no interest in digging through her intimate wear. He just liked the idea of messing with Sting.

"I will, but I honestly have no idea what to get for her to wear. I don't know the first thing about women. What if I get something that's too small for her and she hits me again with my own damn magic. I don't think I should be the one picking out clothes for her." Rogue visibly cringed when he thought of the hit he received earlier.

He didn't want the blonde to have any other reasons to hate him, and Rogue had heard from various other members of the guild, including Sting, as to how girls were sensitive about their clothing. Maybe messing with Sting would have to wait so Rogue wouldn't get himself into any deeper shit with the fairy than he already was.

"Okay, I guess you are right. I just don't really want her to be alone while it's dark..." Rogue listened as Yukino's voice trailed off while silence settled between them.

"I could stay with her." The ebony haired male mentally kicked himself when he let the words spill from his usual tight lips. He couldn't understand why he'd volunteer to watch the blonde while Yukino went to get clothes, surely Lucy wouldn't have it.

Why did he say that even though he literally just ran straight from the room not five minutes ago!? Rogue watched Yukino's brown eyes go wide while she thought over his words.

Shit.

Was Yukino truly even considering this?

There was no way Lucy would let him be alone with her. The slayer let the tension release from his rigid form when the thought processed.

Yes, he had nothing to worry about. The celestial spirit mage would never let him in the room alone with her, so that meant that Rogue's offer was nothing but that. Just an offer.

He didn't have to make good on it.

"Okay, let me go ask Lucy real fast then." Rogue sweatdropped when he watched Yukino move back to the door. No way was she really going to ask the blonde if she would be okay with that.

Was she dumb? Lucy was not going to tolerate it.

Rogue's crimson eyes followed the silver-haired woman as she slipped back through the doorway, leaving the door cracked open just enough for the shadow mage to peek through and see the fairy lying on the bed covered with blankets.

The ebony haired male leaned back on the wall while he waited for Yukino to come back and tell him the inevitable answer- that she said no

In fact, the slayer was so sure of the blonde's answer that he didn't even see the point in listening in on the women's conversation.

"Okay Rogue, You can come in." Rogue practically fell to the ground when Yukino yelled from the other side of the door.

_What…_

_The.._

_Hell..?_

It was in that moment that the dragon slayer realized that both the celestial mages must have gone insane.

The two brown eyed women had undoubtedly lost their minds. After all, that was the only logical explanation as to why the two would even consider letting the slayer be alone with the now timid blonde.

Rogue regained his composure before taking a tentative step through the doorway. His ruby irises scanned the expanse of the room, making sure he wasn't about to get hit by something for even suggesting he should stay with the hurt fairy.

When the shadow wizard finally realized this was not a joke, he looked over to the bed to see both an amused Yukino and apprehensive blonde. The fairy clenched the blankets up closer to her face as she let her head drop for her hair to cover her bangs, much like she did when he left the room ten minutes ago.

"Okay then, I'll be back in fifteen to twenty minutes. Be nice to each other." And with that Yukino walked past the shocked shadow dragon slayer and out the door before he could even protest.

Rogue cursed himself silently.

Why did he have to put himself in this situation, usually it was his loud mouth of a partner that ended up volunteering the dark-haired slayer for things he didn't want to do. Even though the awkwardness between the two ex-rivaling guild members was practically palpable, the crimson-eyed shadow mage couldn't do much about it except sit down in the vacant chair beside the bed where the injured fairy sat covered in a mountain of blankets and sheets.

Rogue had to reign in his magic the longer he sat by the woman in the deafening uncomfortable silence. Through small sideways glances, the ebony haired male could tell that the blonde was trying to make herself seem as small as possible compared to the pile of linens that covered her body.

Though no matter how many blankets she threw over her battered body, Rogue was painfully aware of the fact that she was there, and the pulling of the foreign magic from within her was not going to go away.

The slayers magic sizzled while it pulsed beneath the confines of his skin, he could feel the power swimming in his veins as he tried to ignore her potent scent that coated every inch of the infirmary. It was all almost too much for Rogue, he could only wonder if his magic had the same effect on her as it did him.

Could she feel the pulling that was created by the two mages sitting so close to one another? Was the dark magic riling up within her body as well? Or was he the only one that had to deal with the annoying aftermath of his shadow magic's frustrations.

_Can she even feel the bond we've been forced into?_

"Thank you for everything." The shadow dragon slayer whipped his head around to stare at the mountainous pile of blankets when the small voice carried throughout the room.

_Why was she thanking me?_

If anything she should be screaming at him to get out. He had caused all this to happen to her and he didn't care if she didn't believe it was his direct fault. On top of that he had touched her even though he knew she was scared of not only males in general, but him more than any male in particular.

Though, who could blame her? She had been used and literally abused, it was only natural for her to question the opposite gender, and even though he knew that- he just couldn't bring himself to refrain from catching her as she was falling.

"I didn't do anything that would deserve your thanks." In some sort of emotionless and apathetic way, Rogue knew he was also trying to atone for the pain his future self had caused her. After all, if it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have been put in the position to be attacked. Rogue had no doubt that the blonde would have been at her guild with Natsu and the rest of her team; not trying to recover from the trauma that his future self had caused.

If what the lion spirit had told Sting was correct, then Rogue really did feel to blame for everything that had transpired against the blonde celestial mage. He had indirectly ruined her life and the thought made his chest ache in the oddest of ways.

"You saved my life, and then you kept me from falling. I don't care what you say about it, the fact remains if you hadn't have found me I would have died, the end." The ebony haired slayer felt his ruby eyes widen when the blonde peeked her head up over the covers to look over at him. Her face was still littered with bruises and cuts but her eyes were not nearly as puffy and watery as the last couple of times he had seen her.

Her hair had a golden hue to it, causing Rogue to remember just how radiant it was at the Grand Magic Games. This was the woman he remembered seeing at the grand magic games fighting for Fairy Tail, this was the mage he remembered seeing at Natsu's side the first day Sabertooth had arrived in Crocus and Sting wanted to boast a little.

They had been standing by a fountain when Natsu had busted through the crowd with this blonde celestial mage hot on his heels.

Rogue felt his shadows twist around his body as he remembered the woman's face vividly. Seeing her so worn and broken made his magic flare as it tried to pull harder to merge with the shadows deep within the blonde on the bed. The ebony haired slayer gazed into the maiden's wide chocolate eyes in alarm when Rogue felt his magic surge a bit before he could calm it once again.

"Why do I feel like I am being pulled towards you?" Ruby irises stared as the celestial mage put a hand to her covered chest while she gasped for air while black wisps of shadows formed over her own skin. Her damp hair whipped around her shoulders and face while Rogue watched her lose control of the dark magic.

He felt his own shadow magic retaliate as he fought desperately to reign in his shadows before they could erupt from his body as well. The dragon slayer moved to stand, he didn't know exactly what he was going to do, but he knew if he didn't attempt something the shadows would likely try and consume her.

Rogue watched the panicking blonde as her pleading eyes landed on his approaching form. The conflicted slayer stopped short when he was right at the end of the bed, so close to the blonde that he could see the blood-red eyes that stared back into his own. Rogue gasped as the woman cried out to him.

"What's happening to me? I've never felt this type of magic before." Rogue reached a hand out to the blonde but stopped when she flinched away from his touch.

That was right, she had always been asleep when the magic would take over her body and mind, and she had never been awake before from what he could recall so this was all completely new to her.

"Let me try and help you... Lucy." Rogue let her name roll off of his tongue as he tested it out for himself for the first time. He didn't feel like he deserved to say her name, not after everything she had been through at his expense, but right now, he didn't know how else to calm her.

Lucy nodded slightly letting Rogue know that it was okay for him to move closer. The ebony haired male sat on the edge of the bed feeling his magic swirl around his own body while both his and her dark shadows mingled with one another for the first time.

The shadow mage felt tiny pinpricks on his body as he grabbed the blondes head with both his hands. He stared into her terrified crimson gaze while he stroked the skin under her right eye with his thumb. Something about the way his shadows intertwined with hers made him feel elated as he looked into her red gaze with his own. The celestial mage visibly relaxed as Rogue's presences seemed to calm the raging foreign magic bit by bit.

Rogue focused all of his energy into the blonde as he tried to form a ball of the dark shadows within her, trying to force it into submission while he worked his own magic into her little by little to coat the tainted shadows with his own. If he wasn't able to remove the shadows yet, maybe he could force them into obeying him with his own magic.

The ebony haired mage assumed his idea had worked by the way both of their shadows had died down to where Lucy had her eyes half closed while still gazing into his own contempt gaze.

Had he actually succeeded in calming the woman down?

Maybe there was hope for Lucy to be saved from the tainted shadows after all. All he had to do was change the malice magic into the same shadow magic that he could control, though it would seem he definitely would need to be close to her. After all, he was the one that could draw out the tainted shadows within her.

The shadow dragon slayer watched as the now calm celestial mage closed her eyes, only to reopen them again to reveal her chocolate gaze once again. Rogue stared into her gaze for a moment before he registered the sound of the door open while a soft 'thump' reverberated throughout the room as something hit the floor.

"I leave for twenty minutes and come back to you two all over each other? Lucy cover yourself up!" Rogue moved his hands away from Lucy's face while noticing just how close his own face had actually come to hers.

Alarmed by the proximity, the shadow mage jumped away from the bed just as the short-haired celestial mage swatted him on the back of the head with a bag full of what he could only assume was clothing.

Rogue rubbed the back of his head while he turned to look at the red face of Lucy as she covered her exposed chest. The ebony haired male's nose gushed with blood when he got an unintended peek at her perky full breast. Lucy looked up in time to see Rogue's surprised wide eyes with blood running down his nose.

"KYAAAAAAAAA" Lucy pulled the blankets tight against her chest before she sent a leg out to kick the unexpecting slayer back into the wall as she flung the blankets over her head.

"Somebody please tell me what the hell I missed?!" Rogue watched as the silverette tried to comfort the blonde while he just slid down the wall to sit on his ass before putting his head in his hands.

Lucy's kicks hurt worse than when she flung him with the shadow magic.


	11. Chapter 11

**HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! I thought this chapter was perfect to celebrate the occasion, so I hope you accept my Valentine's gift to you all! :D**

* * *

**CHAPTER 11**

* * *

The sun had just started to shine over the horizon when the first group of Fairy Tail wizards managed to make it to the Sabertooth guild.

Rogue had set up in his chair tiredly when the infirmary door opened to reveal a prim and proper Rufus escorting the other guild's mages into the room. The ebony haired male listened as the memory make mage quietly whispered to the group, explaining in detail what he had memorized of the celestial mages injuries and mental development.

Rogue clinched his fists a bit when Rufus briefed them on Lucy's inability to control the tainted shadows that resided in her when she was sleeping, making sure to stress the fact that they need to be careful around her while she was still unconscious. Rufus turned to the crimson eyed slayer as he talked, taking a glance at the two sleeping celestial mages in separate beds.

"This is the precise reason why our own shadow mage himself needs to stay with her when she is sleeping, just in case the magic goes out of control." Rogue watched as all the Fairy Tail members trained their eyes on him. He had been sitting in the corner of the infirmary, furthest away from the window that was now spilling soft light through the blinds.

Rogue had expected the Fairy Tail members to enter in a whirlwind of chaos as soon as their feet were within the threshold of Sabertooth, but it seemed that the first group was just the guild's master and two small blue haired wizards. The dark-haired dragon slayer immediately recognized the shortest mage with long dark blue hair as the sky dragon slayer and the other he recognized as Gajeel's woman.

Well, at least, he believed she was Gajeel's woman if her scent was any indication, she smelled so much like the iron dragon slayer that the crimson eyed male had to do a double take when she walked into the infirmary alongside her guildmates.

Rogue's eyes followed as the sky dragon slayer wasted no time in running to the injured celestial mage, motioning for Rufus to follow her. It intrigued the older slayer to see the memory make mage being bossed around by such a small girl. The sight caused the ghost of a smirk to curve at his mouth, one that dropped almost immediately when he noticed the other Fairy Tail guild member's attention stay directly on him.

Rogue stood from the infirmary chair, giving his body a good stretch. He had been sitting there for hours, bored out of his mind and ended up reading a magazine that the silver-haired celestial mage had left on the counter when she'd decided to turn in for the night after being sure that Lucy had fallen asleep.

The ebony haired dragon slayer was actually surprised that it didn't take the blonde long to fall asleep at all. After Yukino had walked in on he and Lucy in such an awkward position and explaining exactly what had happened, his guildmate had calmed down and so had Lucy.

Frosch had waddled into the infirmary soon after Yukino, making himself comfortable on Lucy's lap as the two girls talked about nonsense while Rogue tried to drown his boredom in reading a book that he had brought with him. Of course, it didn't take the crimson eyed male long to finish the 600+ page novel so then he was stuck with nothing to do but sit and watch the two girls sleep.

"Master Makarov, it's nice to see you again." Rogue greeted the old master who nodded back at him. Rogue wasn't really one for conversations and he was grateful it seemed that the tiny master realized that.

The other blue hair mage that smelled too much like Gajeel, however, seemed to have a different objective in mind.

"You better be taking good care of my Lulu, She's special to all of us, and apparently you are the only one that can make those damn nightmares go away." Rogue sweat-dropped when the short woman stomped her way to stand in front of him with her hands on her hips. It was painfully obvious that she was protective of the blonde celestial mage and it didn't take a genius to see why Gajeel could have fallen for the assertive mage.

"I can assure you, I am trying my best. Right now the only thing I can do is be close to her." Rogue looked away to watch the sky dragon slayer and Rufus working on the injured woman's body. The light green glow reflecting from the little girl palms was soothing to the crimson eyed slayer as well- Even from the other side of the room.

Wendy was strong for a girl her age.

"However the real person that's been with Lucy from day one would have to be Yukino, she looks up to your friend so she wants to help her in any way she can." Rogue turned to look at the other bed that housed the silver-haired celestial mage causing Levy's eyes to wander to stare at the sleeping woman as well. Levy's eyes widened before she went to stand by the sleeping silver-haired celestial mage before she gently laid a hand on the sleeping girl's shoulder startling the silverette awake.

"Yukino, if you want you can go back to your room and sleep for a little bit, I'll be in here with Lucy until she wakes up, please go rest easy knowing she is in good hands for now. Thank you so much for taking care of my best friend." Rogue watched as the blue haired mage whispered to the confused celestial mage before Levy helped Yukino up out of the bed. Rogue didn't miss the way Yukino rubbed her back as if it was sore from sleeping on such a soft mattress.

"Are you sure? I really don't mind staying" Rogue sweat-dropped once again, it was just like his guildmate to forget about her own health so she could take care of someone else.

"I'm positive. Take care of yourself and go get some real sleep for a little bit." Rogue blanched as Yukino just nodded her head before waving at everyone while Levy walked her to the door.

Who the hell was this tiny woman? Now Rogue really did believe without a doubt that the tiny bluenette was definitely Gajeel's woman, only a woman like that could keep a slayer like Gajeel in line.

Rogue snapped out of his shock and confusion when the door closed and the bluenette woman's gaze was once again focused on him. Something that made him want to sweat just from the way her eyes scrutinized his every move.

"Now Levy, my child, don't scare the poor boy. It's obvious he is trying his hardest, even forgoing his own sleep just to watch over our dear Lucy. Do not belittle him when he has done nothing wrong. He already has enough stress to deal with as is." Rogue said a silent prayer as the Fairy Tail master defended him from the onslaught that he was sure he was about to receive.

The bluenette was small- but fierce.

"Okay Master, I have healed Lucy's small cuts, bruises, her shoulder, and part of her abdomen wound, I'm going to need to rest some before I can heal her anymore, though." Rogue watched the other dragon slayer as she moves to stand by her guild's master before he looked over at the blonde sleeping soundly on the infirmary bed.

It was nice to see her sleeping with such a peaceful expression, he vaguely wondered if him pushing some of his own shadows into her had calmed the tainted ones of his future self enough for her to sleep soundly. After all, that was the point- to try and force the shadows into submission by using his own regular shadow magic to overpower the tainted magic.

"I can take you to Sting's office if you would like to talk to him Master Makarov, and maybe the misses would like to get some breakfast after the tiring journey here?" Rufus offered the three fairy mages.

"That would be perfect, Rufus, you are a wonderful host." Makarov waited until the memory-make mage walked to the door to lead the way. The ebony haired slayer was about to sigh as he watched everyone file out of the room one by one before sitting back in his chair, it was going to be a long morning for him while he waited for Lucy to wake up.

"Actually, I am going to stay here until Lu wakes up. Rogue, why don't you escort Wendy to your guild's dining hall so she can get some food? She needs the energy." Levy moved to sit in the chair that was stationed by the infirmary bed before she sat down and took Lucy's hand in her own.

Rogue stared wide-eyed at the petite woman once more. What does she mean? Is she completely insane? She obviously knows that he couldn't just leave Lucy while she was sleeping, that defeated the whole purpose of him staying there with her throughout the night.

If he was to leave and something was to go wrong, he would feel like he failed. Levy sighed, obviously catching Rogue's worry and hesitation to leaving her alone with the blonde.

"Look, I plan on waking her up once everyone is gone, so don't worry about it, okay? She won't be asleep, and you won't have to worry about watching her. You look like a train wreck. Take Wendy to get breakfast, and then go back to your own room to sleep." Rogue cringed as Levy's voice took on a demanding tone before jumping out of the chair to stand by the door. She was small but scary as hell.

"Fine, I will take Wendy to the dining hall. I'll have Orga take her to Sting's office once she is finished so she doesn't get lost." Crimson eyes observed Levy nod before she turned back to look at Lucy. Rogue gave the sleeping blonde one last glance over his shoulder before he walked out the infirmary and shut the door.

"I'm sorry you have to take me to the dining hall." Rogue noticed the way Wendy bent down to where her hair was partially covering her face in apology while twisting her small hands into her skirt. The older slayer smiled at the small girl. Even though she was strong, she was still just a child. He pats her on the head once before walking to the stairs.

"It's fine. However, Gajeel's woman is a little terrifying. How is the metal face doing anyway?" Rogue looked over his shoulder to make sure the blue haired girl was following him. He didn't want to admit that he was still interested and looked up to Gajeel, after all, the slayer was basically what Rogue aspired to be when he was even younger than the sky dragon slayer.

"He's doing well. He's probably mad that he couldn't tag along with Levy, I know Natsu was fuming when he found out he couldn't be in the first group either." Rogue listened to the little slayer ramble on about the adventures that she had been on with Gajeel and the others. It was nice to hear how he was doing every once in a while.

Rogue reached the dining hall just in time to see the lightning god slayer sitting down at a table. He motioned for Wendy to follow him as he made his way over to the table before putting his hand on it just as Orga was about to take a bite of his food. The god slayer looked up at his ebony haired guildmate before putting his fork down.

"Orga, this is Wendy, she will be eating with you, when she's finished, do you mind taking her to Sting's off-" Rogue was cut off as he felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down to see the little sky dragon slayer standing next to him with her head tilted down so her bangs were slightly covering her eyes.

"Umm, Rogue, would it be okay if you ate with us as well?" Rogue looked from Orga to the girl in confusion. Why would she want him to stay? It's not like she knew him any more than she did Orga. Why did it matter who she ate with?

Wendy looked up at him as he stared at her in confusion for a minute not knowing what to say.

"It's just, you remind me of Gajeel, and he's always been like a big brother to me.." Wendy trailed off as she waited for the older slayer to say something. He had never really had anyone compare him to Gajeel, well except for his eyes, of course. It did seem they share the same red eyes. But besides that, nothing really else.

"Um, okay. I guess I could eat as well." Rogue watched as a smile formed on the little girl's lips while she giggled obviously happy about his answer. He let her pull him to the bar where they ordered their food and Rogue paid for both. They stood in silence while they waited for their order to be filled while Wendy sipped on a pineapple smoothie.

Once their food was ready they went to sit back down at the table with the huge male, who was already eating another plate of food. Where the god slayer got it from, they had no idea.

Rogue talked with Orga a little while Wendy ate at a slow pace listening to the dragon and god slayer converse.

"Did you figure out a way to remove your magic from the blonde chick?" Rogue sighed as he put his fork down. He didn't really find a way to actually remove it, but he did find a way to calm it, so that was progressing, right? Even if it did mean forcing his non-tainted shadows into Lucy, it was still doing her better than the dark magic was.

"No, but I did find a way to calm the dark magic, so it's a start." Rogue watched as Orga tore into a turkey leg before nodding in understanding.

"That's better than nothing."Orga agreed as Rogue watched Wendy finish off her food before she sat back in her chair.

"How are you calming it, Rogue?" Rogue wasn't expecting her to ask him that question, actually, he wasn't expecting anyone to ask him that question he just assumed other people wouldn't understand the actual reasoning behind it.

"I'm forcing my own shadows that I can actually control in to her." Rogue watched as Wendy spit out a sip of her drink while Orga choked on a piece of turkey. The two coughed as they tried to remove the last of the food and drink from their throats.

Rogue sweat dropped at their reactions. He guessed he could have put it a little differently. Hearing it from his own mouth did make it sound a lot worse than it actually was.

"Isn't that dangerous, Rogue?!" Orga coughed while he tried to dislodge the stuck meat. Rogue leaned away as the god slayer gave one last loud cough, causing the whole guild to stop and watch the three at the table causing all the commotion.

"I suppose, but I had no other choice, if I can force the tainted shadows into submission by overwhelming them with my own magic, I might be able to gain control to them." Wendy calmed a little as she listened to his reasoning. Rogue was relieved that the two slayers had calmed down some after listening to him explain.

"You're playing a dangerous game." Orga crossed his arms over his chest as he stared down at his ebony haired guildmate. Of course, Rogue already knew what he was doing was risky, but there was absolutely no other way that he could come up with that would be a better solution.

Lucy's soul had already started to merge with the dark magic, making it a part of her, and he couldn't just rip it from her- even if he knew how- that could do more harm than good.

"I know." Rogue stood from his seat, ignoring the stares from the other guild members that were curiously wondering just what had happened at that table to cause such an upset.

"Are you ready?" Rogue looked to the little bluenette. He could tell she wasn't exactly happy about his choice, but what could she do about it? The only other person that could use Rogue's shadows was Gajeel, and his wasn't even pure shadow magic. So they were stuck with Rogue's plan until he or someone else could come up with a better one.

"Hai. Bye Orga, it was nice meeting you!" Wendy stood from her seat before prancing to stand beside Rogue. Orga waved at the small dragon slayer before turning to eat once again. Rogue lead the way back up the stairs making sure to glance over his shoulder every once in a while to check if Wendy was still following him. Once they reached Sting's office Rogue knocked on the door, they didn't have to wait long as the door was swung open to reveal Rufus.

"Ah, Miss Wendy come in! Rogue, I believe Miss Mcgarden told you to go to your room and sleep." Rogue could feel a tick forming on his forehead as he watched the memory-make mage smirk a bit. The ebony haired slayer was about to say something before he was cut off by an even bigger annoyance to his ears.

"Oh, Gajeel's girl has a handle on even you, Rogue?! That's hilarious." Rogue didn't waste any time as he slipped into the shadows and reappeared right behind the cackling Sabertooth guild master. Rogue grabbed Sting in a headlock effectively cutting off his laughter while Sting gasped for air.

"I give! I…Give!" The blonde slayer choked out as the rest of the occupants in the office watched the men in amusement. Rogue released Sting from his death grip before turning away from the hurt blonde.

"Damn Rogue, I was kidding, it was a joke! Geez man." Rogue glanced over his shoulder to observe Sting rubbing his throat in an attempt to comfort the throbbing ache from his hold.

"By the way, Frosch and Lector went to play outside if you end up looking for him, he came by here thinking you were with us." Rogue nodded his head as he began to walk out of the office. He really did need to get some sleep, he was becoming even more agitated by the minute and he didn't want to snap at someone for no reason, unless it was Sting.

Sting always deserved some sort of bizarre punishment.

"Wait, Rogue! Thank you for eating with me, and bringing me to Master Sting's office!" Wendy grabbed a hold of the ebony haired slayer's sleeve once again. Rogue turned to pat the girl on the head before telling her it was no big deal. The little bluenette gave him an unexpected hug before she finally let the crimson eyed male leave the office, shutting the door on his way out.

Rogue smiled as he made his way back to his room. It was obvious that he had at least made a friend in the little sky dragon slayer, and that was a good thing. She didn't annoy him in the least and he could see her becoming like a little sister to him if given the chance- which was not likely to happen considering they would be leaving back to Fairy Tail soon.

Rogue slipped into the shadows once again so he could make it to his room in record time, he was running on the pure leftover energy that was about to fade into nothing, the worn out slayer was beyond exhausted.

He slipped through the cracks of his doorway not even taking a second as he materialized onto his bed with a flop. He was ready to sleep away the rest of the day so he could be ready for the night once again. For now, he would trust Levy to keep an eye on Lucy while he got some much-needed rest.

* * *

_Gentle fingers slid up the length of her exposed thigh, causing a delightful trail of sparks to ignite under her skin. An unnatural heat licked through her veins when she felt his sharp teeth skim the side of her neck before he pressed his soft lips to her fevered skin just below her ear._

_Lucy's mind was dazed as she opened her eyes to see the muted gray darkness that once housed the pitch black confines of her tortured psyche. Even though it was still extremely dark the blonde could faintly make out the unkempt tufts of hair that was nestled right under her chin._

_The celestial mage's thoughts were fogged by a mixture of both confusion and comfort as she felt the soft suckles upon her heated flesh. Faintly realized that she had fallen asleep not too long ago, the blonde found herself consumed with peaceful bliss instead of the anxiety and fear that usually overtook her in her sleep._

_Even though the celestial maiden had a stranger kissing up against the side of her neck, she couldn't seem to bring herself to push him away._

_Lucy tilted her head to the side giving the mysterious man better access to continue his assault against the pale skin of her neck. The blonde registered both pleasure and mortification in the delightful nips of his canines._

_Despite feeling slight indignification, Lucy brought her hands up to intertwine into the deep ebony locks, not feeling afraid in the slightest as she lifted her leg higher to sit on the edge of the man's hip. He gently grasped her leg, securing it around his body while he lifted her up to pin her back against the wall with ease, causing both Lucy's legs to instinctively wrap around his hips while a breathless gasp left her lips._

_The celestial spirit mage hears a deep purr like growl emancipate from his chest before both her hands were forced from his soft locks and pinned onto the wall beside her head with his powerful hold. The blonde couldn't help but squirm from the feeling of desire that stirred low within her belly when she felt his hardened shaft rub against her thigh. The small shifts of her hips caused the male to stiffen before letting out a throaty groan before he once again nuzzled his nose into the crevice of her neck, his humid breath releasing in puff against her chilled skin._

_Though she knew that she should have been petrified of being bound against her will, Lucy couldn't bring herself to feel threatened in the slightest, it was as if all fear of the man standing before her had melted away with the darkness that had covered the subconscious._

_All the blonde could feel now was a churning heat pooling deep within her gut so intense that Lucy had never felt before. The blonde not knowing how to sedate her newfound lust- rubbed her lower half down onto his throbbing erection. The small action caused her to gasp when she felt a thrilling sensation that she had never felt before._

_Lucy could hear the warning growls he was giving her, but couldn't help herself as she experimentally rubbed herself against him one more time. The dark haired male released a carnal snarl as his grip on her wrist tightened before lifting his crimson gaze up to meet with her own._

_The sight should have been enough to shock her into making her blood run cold. The gaze of that one exposed ruby iris should have been enough to force all of the anxious and terror back into the confines of her mind. However, nothing of the sort even crossed the blonde's mind as she stared deep into his blood red gaze._

_Maybe it was because Lucy's subconscious just somehow knew that the male pinning her to the wall was not the self-proclaimed future dragon king, but the Rogue from her own time. And, even though she had been apprehensive of him before, for some strange reason, she just knew with every fiber of her being that he was not going to hurt her or harm her in any way._

_But what exactly was making her feel that way now, when just a few short hours ago she was still terrified of seeing his face?_

_What changed to make her feel so_ _safe_ _around him?_

_Lucy examined his crimson eye-catching the hunger and need within his gaze._

_Why did she positively love the way he was staring at her with such fiery intensity… and lust?_

_Lucy felt his hips thrust forward into her causing her mind to derail from her thoughts and back into the land of euphoric torture when she felt his erection slid against her throbbing core. The blonde couldn't keep herself from rubbing against his precise thrusts; letting out soft mewls of unashamed pleasure._

_The inexperienced woman was caught off guard when she felt soft lips melt onto hers, his kiss was gentle but experienced, causing sparks to shoot from up her spine then down to her groin where the heat was pooling causing an agonizing ache to form._

_Rogue's tongue swiped at her lips while he let another groan pass his lips as he begged her for entrance. Lucy obliged as she tilted her head further to the side giving him better leverage for his tongue to sweep inside to swirl alongside her own. His taste was darkly sweet and cool which almost reminded her of peppermint with a hint of dark chocolate, causing her lips to tingle from the sweet and fresh taste assaulting her mouth._

_Half-lidded brown eyes watched as Rogue broke the kiss before he leaned his head on the wall just between her pinned wrist and head while he continued the erratic tempo of his thrusting hips causing Lucy to see stars as the sensation became almost unbearable._

_The blonde woman slung her head from side to side before she cried out while straining against the grip on her wrists. For a good moment, her vision went completely white as she called out his name begging for him to release her hands so she could hold on to him as she felt the sensation of falling while hearing soft whispers of her name being called from a distance._

_Lucy_

_"…_ _Lucy.."_

"LUCY." Lucy woke up startled by the loud feminine voice yelling in her ear, she immediately tried to sit up in bed but forgot about her injured shoulder and arm as she went to push her weight down on the mattress to lift her body up.

The blonde was expecting pain to hit her, but when nothing of the sort came, she looked down at the arm in question taking in the fact that it was not tied up like it had been when she fell asleep last night. She carefully tested the mobility of the appendage, at first just bending it, then twisting it, excited when no pain came to her.

"Wendy was able to completely heal your arm and just a part of the wound on your abdomen while you were sleeping." Lucy reverted her attention back to the other occupant in the room as she recognized the voice that could only belong to the short bluenette of Team Shadow Gear. Lucy watched as Levy practically ran to the bed to slide on the mattress before flinging her arms around the already excited blonde.

"Levy! I'm so glad you are here. Where are Master and Wendy? I need to thank her for healing me! I am so glad to see you, Levy!" Lucy tried to keep the tears from spilling over but it was proving harder said than done as she wrapped her now healed arm around her best friend.

She had felt so guilty for leaving Levy out of the loop for so long during her depressed and anxious state. The short woman was literally like a sister to her- actually, come to think of it, everyone in the guild was just a part of her big family and she hated that she kept all of them from her deepest troubles for such a long time.

"Both Master and Wendy are with Sting, I wanted to stay with you until you woke up. Everyone is so worried about you Lu. But we all heard you took down some powerful bandits, I'm so proud of you." Lucy wiped her eyes as she let go of the smaller girl. Lucy had heard about the bandits being considered dangerous and even having a bounty mission request put on them by the magic council- the same request that Rogue has taken, and the very same mission he had found Lucy dying while trying to complete.

Lucy blushed as she thought of the shadow dragon slayer. She was still cautious and a little frightened by just his presence, but something deep within her made her feel like she just shouldn't feel that way towards him anymore. After Yukino had walked in on them in an awkward position, the ebony haired male had stayed on the opposite side of the room until Lucy was actually able to fall asleep with a little help of small chit chat with Yukino. Even Frosch had shown up at the infirmary a little bit before she had fallen asleep.

The dream Lucy had just woke up from had felt so vivid and real, making a shiver run up the length of the celestial mage's spine as she thought of the kiss the Rogue in her dream had given her. It had been so gentle and soft, nothing like she had ever felt before.

Lucy unconsciously brought a hand to her lip as she remembered the dream in embarrassment. Though it was unexpected, Lucy would gladly take a dream like that any night instead of the horrible nightmares that had been plaguing for her weeks. The blonde wondered what exactly happened to make her dreams change so drastically, but decided to write it off once she saw the devious smile on her small friend's lips.

"So, did you have a good dream, Lu? It sure did sound like it from where I was sitting." The celestial maiden's face went from having a small blush to be being completely red as she thought of some of the things Levy must have heard while she was dreaming in her sleep, and oh the noises!

She just had to know what Levy had heard.

"Whatever do you mean, Levy?" Lucy listened as the bluenette laughed whole-heartedly, obviously enjoying the blondes embarrassment. Lucy was just grateful it was only Levy that had been in the room, and not Rogue, himself. She still didn't have an exact clue as to why her unconscious mind would do a complete one-eighty like that, and she didn't want to have to explain something she couldn't even understand herself.

Speaking of the shadow dragon slayer, Lucy couldn't help but wonder where he'd gone off to. Wasn't he supposed to be watching her in case something crazy happened again? Lucy's attention was snapped back to Levy when the small girl put her hands on Lucy's cheeks and turned her face to look at her, a small knowing smirk lifted on Levy's pale pink lips.

"Did it have something to do with a certain mysterious dark-haired Sabertooth dragon slayer?" Lucy stared at the woman in horror as she watched the bluenette bite her lip to keep from busting out in a frenzy of laughter.

Oh sweet Mavis, did Lucy say his name in her sleep?

"Oh, dear Mavis, Levy what did you hear?" Lucy couldn't take the torture anymore, she could feel the heat on her face as the bluenette burst into laughter and tears before standing up from the bed to catch her breath.

"Oh, just a few moans and sighs, it wasn't until just before I woke you up that you scared the piss out of me by moaning Rogue's name really loud. Honestly, Lucy, I didn't know you had it in you. I always thought Natsu was your hot spot." Lucy pulled her pillow up to cover her face as she let out a scream of frustration.

She hoped to any deity that was watching over her that a dream like that would never happen again, especially not in front of the male in question, she would likely die from embarrassment if Rogue ever heard her moaning his name in her sleep.

"Tell me what happened in that dream? How did you go from being completely scared of him to practically sexing him up in your sleep?" Lucy threw the pillow at the still cackling mage.

"I was not sexing him up!" Lucy screamed right as the door opened to reveal a confused group of people consisting of Sting, Master Makarov, Wendy, and Yukino.

"Woah, woah, woah, back up. What did we miss?" The Sabertooth guild master rubbed the back of his head as everyone stood in the doorway confused. Lucy grabbed the blankets and pulled them over her head as she tried to hide her red face, though nothing could hide the way Levy was holding her gut while trying to reign in some of her laughter.

What a sight they must look like to the four new occupants.

"Wendy! Master! I'm so glad to see you both, and Wendy thank you so much for healing me, I feel a lot better." Lucy mumbled from beneath the blanket still a little too frazzled to show her face to the other people in the room. She didn't trust her horrified expression to show just how much gratitude she felt for the little sky maiden.

"Lucy! I am so glad you're feeling better you had everyone all worried sick! I'm going to heal the last of your abdomen later on today, so hopefully, that will have you up and walking around soon. I don't need you getting bed sores as well!" Wendy ran to the bed as she wrapped her arms around the mound of blankets, causing Lucy to pop her still blushing face back up from the small fort she had made. The blonde wrapped her arms around the small dragon slayer. She had never meant to worry anyone, and it upset her that the whole reason she even did those solo missions had become just another reason to get the rest of Fairy Tail riled up about her.

"Don't tire yourself out over me, I'm healing just fine, so don't feel any need to rush." Lucy chided the younger girl much like an older sister or mother would. The celestial mage didn't notice the small master making his way over to bed until she saw him standing on the edge a little too close for her comfort. Lucy tried to back away but felt the dull aching on her side before the master realized he must have been too close to her before opting to stand in the chair right by the bed.

"Lucy my child, I am so glad you are in such capable hands here at Sabertooth, though it does sadden this old heart that you will not be accompanying us back to Fairy Tail, seeing as you have some inner healing to do as well." Lucy nodded to the master taking in his words. It was true, the blonde wouldn't be able to go back to Fairy Tail until something was done about the foreign magic that still resided in her, and she also knew one good night away from the nightmares didn't mean that they were gone for good. She could still feel the darkness swirling inside her, even if for some reason it was being repressed.

"I know, Master. I am sorry I didn't come to anyone sooner about this. I was just scared and didn't want to burden anyone with my troubles. I thought I could handle it alone because I thought it was just a coping issue. I didn't know there was a foreign magic in me…" Lucy trailed off as she felt tears form in her eyes once again. She had been so scared to burden her family and friends that she had completely shunned them in her most vulnerable of moments when she actually needed them. The brown-eyed mage knew now that what she did was the wrong way of going about her depression and only ended up in her getting hurt even worse in the process.

"Lucy, it was not our right to interfere in your personal business, but you must know that Fairy Tail is your family, and we would all do anything for you, even at a moment's notice. I need you to get healthy again, we all want to see your smile and hear your laugh once again. Now on that note, I can't have Natsu destroying the guild while I am gone, so we will be leaving tomorrow afternoon and I will be sending Natsu, Gray and Erza in the next group to see you.

Lucy felt her stomach twist in knots, she knew she was going to have to face the salmon haired slayer sooner or later, she had just hoped it would be a little bit longer than a few days away. She missed both Natsu and Gray terribly, but she still didn't have a plan on how to keep them both a safe enough distance away from her to keep her from being too startled and from having her secret let out.

She knew no matter what she came out up with, the fiery pyro would be able to immediately smell something different and off about her. Wendy's senses were sharp, but nowhere near as developed as the older dragon slayers so Lucy wasn't surprised that the young slayer hadn't picked up anything too different about her, especially not with all the medical smells that covered the room.

"So… Are we going to hear about the guy you sexed up or what?" Lucy's head snapped to glare at the oblivious blonde dragon slayer leaning against the door frame. She blushed once again when she heard another round of hysterical laughter erupt from Levy who was sitting in a chair by the wall. Thankfully, Yukino smacked Sting in the head and told him to be quiet before all the attention was pushed back onto the blonde celestial mage who honestly just felt like she was going to die of embarrassment.

Lucy smiled as she watched the group in front of her converse and play fight. She had needed that full night of sleep, and for the first time in almost a month, she felt completely rested and dare she say it..

_Happy._

Yes, she had just gone through some really traumatizing situations within just a few days, but the blonde felt like a weight was being lifted off her shoulders. She no longer felt the complete guilt that was eating her away from not telling her guild what was going on with her.

The nightmares had calmed for just one night and let her sleep peacefully, and she was on her way to recovering thanks to Wendy, Rogue, and the rest of Sabertooth. The blonde would never leave Fairy Tail out of her pain and trauma again, because she hadn't realized how worried she had actually made them.

Sure, she could sit around and mope about the bad things that had happened to her, but she preferred to look at the good instead. She was finally seeing a small light in the darkness that consumed her on a nightly basis and it felt  _good._

Lucy had finally started to feel just a bit like herself once again, and it made her happy. She still had her demons that she still needed to face, but she felt like she could conquer that hurdle as long as she had her friends and family by her side.


	12. Chapter 12

**WARNING:  Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**This chapter is Beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should go check them out!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 12**

* * *

The soft morning light of the rising sun had intensified while it rose higher into the sky, only to later be replaced with the golden hues of the coming evening as both Lucy and Yukino sat on the bed with the two blue-haired mages from Fairy Tail.

The blonde mage of Fairy Tail had been so enthralled with listening to Levy and Wendy talk about what had been going on at the guild since she'd left- that she hadn't even taken notice of the passing time. It was only when her stomach started to grumble that she realized how long they had been talking and catching up.

Lucy was lying on the infirmary bed while Wendy continued to work on the blonde's body, healing it until she was almost at least completely healed. The celestial fairy watched the small girl move from one side of the bed to the other as she tried to keep her focus on Levy while she talked about Natsu.

The blonde couldn't say she was surprised to hear that the flaming dragon slayer had been moping around and causing more trouble than usual since she had left on her missions almost a week ago.

After all, the salmon haired male had practically begged her to let him go with her when she was trying to leave. The celestial maiden couldn't help but roll her eyes at the memory. Though she would admit, if she would have let him come she wouldn't be in the situation she was in now.

Lucy had felt guilty for not telling her friends what was going on with her, and the guilt ate at her even more so when she thought of her pink haired best friend. Maybe if she would have just broken down, and finally came clean about her traumatic nightmares, maybe together they would have been able to come up with a solution and she wouldn't have been in the position she was in.

Though of course, that probably wouldn't have made a big difference since her problem turned out to be more of some sort of curse than just emotional trauma, still the fact remained that she wouldn't have been hurt in the ways that she had.

From what the two blue-haired fairies had told Lucy, the dragon slayers behavior only worsened when the guild was informed of her attack, causing him to literally burst into flames while he unsuccessfully tried to keep from burning down the guild.

Levy had voiced that she had a hunch that Natsu blamed himself for not being there to protect his blonde best friend, and because he hadn't been able to stop the attack- that he was grieving through guilt.

The only person that was able to calm the fire dragon slayer was the white-haired younger Strauss sibling, which again, didn't surprise Lucy either. The blonde had always liked the idea of the dragon slayer and Lisanna together. It was just something about how the two childhood friends interacted with one another that made Lucy just want to smash their faces together because of how adorable they were.

So, needless to say, when Levy mentioned something about seeing the two mages together blushing and finally starting to realize their feelings, Lucy almost jumped from the bed in joy, which of course didn't go over so well with any of the other women. Yukino pushed her back down on to the bed while the sky dragon slayer scolded her and continued to finish up with her work.

"Okay, Lucy! You are about 95% healed, but I want you to take it easy for the next couple of days and I also don't want you walking up and down all those stairs just yet." Chocolate colored eyes watched as the little dragon slayer used her sleeve to wipe sweat from her brow before she backed away from the bed.

The celestial mage took a moment to assess the young dragon slayers work as she looked down at her abdomen. The once gnarly red and angry puckered stitched wound was now just a scarred reminder of her brutal abuse at the hands of a malice bandit.

Lucy felt dread as she traced her finger down the length of the large fresh pink scar causing a small amount of anxiety to push its way into her head. The blonde fairy quickly tugged her shirt down to cover her scarred flesh, making a point to force a smile onto her lips to keep any bad memories from rushing back.

"Thank you so much, Wendy. I don't know what I would do without you!" Lucy gave the tired slayer a smile before she tossed her legs to the side of the infirmary mattress. She was so eager to get out of bed that excitement had all but replaced anxiety as the blonde pressed her feet to the ground.

Besides a little soreness from being laid up in bed, Lucy couldn't feel any immediate pain overwhelm her when she took a deep breath while she twisted her body around a little. She took an experimental step away from the bed while pushing her arms up and overhead as she stretched her sore muscles. Just a few minor dull aches which were nothing she wouldn't naturally heal from in just a couple of days, other than that she felt completely fine.

"So, since you can't walk down the stairs yet, maybe I should go get you some food, is there anything that sounds good to you?" The blonde looked behind her to see the smiling Sabertooth woman getting up from the bed. In that moment Lucy felt blessed beyond her means. She was surrounded by people who not only took time out of their day, but also genuinely wanted to help her recover and she couldn't be more grateful.

"Not really, surprise me! Thank you, Yukino. For everything, I will never be able to express just how thankful I am to you." Lucy hugged the silver-haired mage as she approached her.

"Oh, it's nothing, really. I'm just glad you are feeling better! Now you don't have to stay in the infirmary anymore!" Yukino unraveled herself from the excited fairy's embrace before she started to walk to the door. The silver-haired stopped before turning to look at the occupants of the infirmary.

"I'm going to stop by Sting's office first to let him know that you can be released from the infirmary and put in a regular room now, hopefully, you will be put on my floor!" and with that, Yukino slipped out of the room.

The Fairy Tail celestial maiden looked back over to Levy who was still sitting on the bed with a small smile on her face as she kicked her legs back and forth, she pushed her finger to her lips while pointing over to another infirmary bed where an already sleeping Wendy lay on her side.

The worn-out slayer had curled up on one of the other infirmary beds, no doubt exhausted from using so much magic just to heal Lucy. The blonde walked over to cover the sleeping girl with the blankets off her own bed, taking special care to securely tuck her in. Lucy leaned down to push a stray hair from Wendy's face as she thanked her one more time.

"So, Lu, what's it like being here with the Saber's?" Lucy turned to look at the over-exuberant bluenette that was whispering across the room. Lucy sighed as she walked over to sit on the bed once more.

"Very hectic. I've caused them so much trouble, and I will be forever in their debt. If it wasn't for Rogue finding me in the first place… I mean, I would have died, Levy." Lucy looked at her knees as she dangled her feet off the side of the bed, much like the shorter solid script mage. Lucy thought of all the anxiety and panic attacks and not to mention the night terrors that the Sabertooth members had been forced to put up with in just the short time she had staying here. It was amazing that they didn't just send her back to Fairy Tail with the master after all the drama she has caused.

Lucy's thoughts slowly drifted to the ebony haired dragon slayer that had found her. Even though Lucy was still a little intimidated by the male for obvious reasons, she knew she had so much to thank him for.

Not only had he saved her life multiple times, but he was taking time out of his life to make sure she was okay. Though he didn't know her and everything that was happening to her wasn't his fault, he was still taking it upon himself to try and save her from the magic that was forcefully placed in her.

And even though he didn't know it, he had indirectly given her a gift. He had given her the gift of hope that her sanity is still intact in the form of just one peaceful night sleep, something she hadn't had in so long.

Lucy couldn't keep the blush from rising to her face as she recalled the dream she had woken from earlier that day. Though she was relieved she hadn't been confined in her unconscious with his future counterpart, she couldn't see a reason as to why she would have such a provocative dream of herself and Rogue.

Of course, Lucy couldn't deny the fact that the slayer was attractive and had a mysterious charm about him that in any other situation would have made her curious about him, but that wasn't the case. Lucy was still painfully uncomfortable and nervous around him, something that she didn't know if she would ever be able to overcome no matter how much her life was indebted to him.

Lucy brought her fingers up to her lips as she recalled the taste of his kiss, even in her dreams, the blonde had never been kissed with such longing and gentleness.

Lucy had been so lost in thought that she didn't even try to hide her blush from the curious solid script mage that was sitting next to her. If only she would have been paying attention, Lucy would have seen how Levy's face went from innocent curiosity to the bluenette's mouth curving into a devious smirk after a few moments.

"So, what happened in your dream Lu? We were interrupted earlier, and I have been waiting to ask you about it again and now's a perfect time, so spill it!" Lucy's head shot up to look at the devious mage while she slapped her hand back down from her lips as she became painfully aware of her red face. Lucy tried to move away as she frantically waved her hands out in front of her while Levy crawled closer to the nervous blonde while her smirk grew.

"There's really nothing to tell, it was just a dream! You wouldn't believe how amazing it was to finally have an actual dream instead of a nightmare, last night was the first time I had a full night of rest without waking up or being anchored to a dark corner of my mind." Lucy tried to explain to the woman that had tried to corner her on the bed. Lucy watched as Levy's face dropped before she sat back a little to lean her head back to stare at the ceiling.

"Why didn't you tell us, Lucy? Even though we didn't know about the shadow magic thing at that time, we still could have tried to help you. I'm sure I would have been able to find a book or something that could have helped even a little bit…" Lucy's eyes grew as the petite mage lost her playful voice to adopt a serious tone that was laced with hurt and betrayal.

The celestial mage grabbed Levy's hand, making sure to lace their fingers together while she looked up at the ceiling as well. Lucy knew her choices hurt the people that were closest to her, and it seemed the more she realized that fact, the less she could defend her own reasoning.

"I just didn't think it was important enough to bother everyone with." And it was the truth. At the time, the broken fairy really didn't see the point in bothering people with her problems. Lucy looked at Levy taking notice of the tear that trailed down the bluenette's cheek before the blonde threw her arms around Levy's shoulders.

She felt like such a self-centered jerk, how could Lucy not see that her own suffering was not only affecting her, but the people that cared about her as well.

"I promise I won't leave you or anyone else out again." Lucy laid her head on Levy's shoulder as she felt the petite mage wrap her arms around the blonde to return the embrace. They sat like that for a while before Lucy heard Levy let out a small sigh as she sniffled a bit.

"I'm glad you said that, so does that mean you will tell me what happened the day you were attacked? I just feel like Loke was leaving something important out when he was telling the guild what had happened, like a big chunk of the story was missing..." Levy let her sentence trail off as Lucy stiffened a little before she unraveled herself from their embrace.

Yes, Loke had left something extremely important out, and for a good reason. Lucy didn't want anyone to know about what else had happened to her, but the blonde knew that she couldn't keep it hidden for much longer

Lucy felt shame burn her throat in the form of bile as she struggled within herself at the thought of telling her best friend just how soiled and defiled she was. The blonde felt a sharp jab at her heart as she remembered the way she had lost her first kiss and her innocence, something that was supposed to be a magical monumental moment to a young woman, but she had that memory stolen from her.

The physical and emotional damage was still there, even though Lucy put on a great front. The blonde tried her best to keep from screaming or panicking when a male would get to close to her, just like when Master Makarov got a little too close to her. But Lucy was still uncomfortable and hesitant and that was something she felt she would have to cope with for the rest of her life.

The celestial mage feared that she would end up pushing away the important males in her life even though she didn't want to.

"Loke did leave something out because it wasn't his place to tell the guild the other part of what had actually happened to me." Lucy confirmed her best friend's suspicion while she turned her head to avoid the curious honey brown eyes of her best friend. The blonde felt her bangs fall into her eyes as she took comfort in knowing Levy couldn't see her holding back her tears.

It wasn't that Lucy didn't want to tell Levy, of all the people she could think of, Lucy knew that Levy would keep her secret and try to help bare the blonde's burden with her, which Lucy felt upset about.

She did not want to be pitied.

Questions filled Lucy's head as she tried to force the words to leave her mouth, but they just kept catching in the back of her throat. What would Levy think of her?

Would she pity her? Would she be angry at her? Would Levy think that Lucy was too weak and incapable of protecting herself?

Lucy noticed the azure haired woman waiting patiently for her to continue but the blonde just couldn't seem to form a sentence, every time she opened her mouth she would shut it almost immediately.

How was she supposed to tell someone she was raped without sounding like a pathetic person in search of pity? Lucy took a deep shaky breath as she tried to keep her mouth from quivering.

"I… I... He... That disgusting man... He did something awful to me... and I feel too ashamed and pathetic to even say it out loud…" Lucy felt a tear slip down her cheek before she threw her hand up to violently wipe away her eyes. She will not let Levy pity her, she didn't want anyone's pity.

Lucy put a hand over her mouth as she kept in her silent sobs. Though she wanted to be strong in the face of her pain, the blonde just couldn't seem to do it. Lucy couldn't bring herself to say it out loud because if she did, she would be admitting that it did happen, and even though she still felt the dull throbbing deep into her core and even remembered watching the blood trail down her legs while walking back to the bandit's camp, she just couldn't bring herself to admit it.

Lucy felt like something within her would burst as if the barrier she had built would break once more for her to relive the horrors she had endured once again. The blonde mage could feel the surge of dark magic push its way through her as it reacted to the rapid beating of her heart from being upset.

Honey brown eyes widened as the petite solid script mage put all the pieces together.

Lucy avoided the small woman's eyes at all cost, trying to keep Levy from seeing just how broken and fragile she really was. The mantra the blonde was repeating in her head had started to wan as more and more of her resolve faded. She could feel the shadow magic within her slowly push through her body as she slipped ever so slowly into the darkness of her own doubt and fear.

_I am strong, not weak. I will not cry over something that cannot be changed._

_I will stay strong…. I will not cry_ …

"Lucy…were... were you... you were…  _raped_ …? " Lucy flinched as Levy's words stabbed her, breaking the last of the barrier she had built to shield her from the pain and the memories.

She could no longer hold in her sobs anymore, the pain was too much, the blonde's heart ached for the happy young woman she was before everything had happened, before the grand magic games, before she was turned into something that she had never wanted to be. The celestial mage could feel the shadows trying to force their way to the surface the more she tried to hold back her pain.

Lucy couldn't put together a coherent sentence, so she let her actions speak for her by slowly tilting her head forward and down into an even deeper nod, giving Levy all the confirmation, she needed. The celestial maiden waited for what felt like an eternity with the withering of the magic inside of her ready to burst, she wanted to hear Levy say something.

The dread that built up inside Lucy as she sat on the bed waiting for the blue-haired woman to say something,  _anything_ was almost too much for the blonde to bare. The silence was only causing a horrible burning sensation to slip across her skin as the shadows tried to push their way out making her feel nauseous.

"Are you kidding me? He did such awful things to you, and we are just going to let him sit in the council jail? No. He deserves worse than a prison cell, Lucy! How can we just sit here? I feel like we need to do something about this." Lucy's head snapped up at the sound of anger in Levy's trembling voice. Even with tears glazing her eyes, Lucy watched as the shorter woman jumped from the bed to pace back and forth through the room.

The blonde was having a hard time understanding what the solid script mage meant. After all, that horrible excuse of a man was in jail and would never be able to harm an innocent woman again, and that was all that mattered to Lucy.

The blonde woman had no desire to seek out any more revenge than she already had. Her main goal was to make sure that man would rue the day he ever crossed her, and even though she had been scared to face him not even a couple of hours after her assault, she had at least accomplished that minute goal.

"Levy, it's…" The blonde was cut off as Levy whipped her head around to glare at the celestial mage. The rage in those honey brown eyes caused Lucy to finch away from the intensity of the blue haired mage's glare. Lucy had never seen Levy so enraged as she was now, and it was causing a fire to start burning deep within the blonde.

"Don't you dare say it, Lucy. Don't you dare say that it's fine! Nothing about what he did to you is fine. He beat you and left you for dead, but on top of that, he RAPED you! He stole something extremely valuable from you, Lucy! Now I know why you flinched away from Master when he was close to you! How do you expect to face Natsu or Gray? Or in fact, any male member of the guild? They are going to find out, and they are going to feel the same damn way as me!" Lucy watched as Levy started to pace the floor once more, the blonde fairy was completely thrown off by Levy's heated reaction, she had never expected Levy to be so adamant on revenge even though Lucy had already completed that part of the grieving process.

Levy didn't pity Lucy or think she was weak, those were the farthest thoughts from her mind, she was being angry for the blonde when Lucy felt she didn't deserve to be anymore.

"I already took my revenge on the man that did this to me, and I am relieved that he is in jail, even if it isn't for what he did to me. I feel that justice had been served in the best way possible, so please don't think anything else about it, and as far as dealing with the guys of our guild… I just don't know, Levy. I know that Natsu and Gray will be here in a few days after you leave, and I also know that Natsu will automatically be able to sense something is different about me… I honestly don't know how he is going to react and it scares me, Levy…" Lucy admitted to the solid-script mage.

The blonde fairy bit the inside of her lip as she continued to feel the vibration of the shadows flowing so freely through her body while the stress weighed down on her. Though it still felt foreign to her, for some reason it felt less malice then it did the last time she experienced it while awake, the horrible ripping and burning sensation that had been excruciatingly painful had now dulled to just light pinpricks, almost as if her body was falling asleep even though she was still awake

It didn't hurt, but it was still very different to her and uncomfortable. The blonde felt her head start to spin as she felt faint from the overexertion of magic as it began to pour from her body.

"Lucy, your arms!" Lucy could hear Levy's voice, but it sounded so far away, as if her ears were clogged with water and the sound was almost mute. Sluggishly the blonde forced her head down to look at both her arms to see black tendrils rising from her skin, they circled around her arms and up to her shoulders, leaving black markings as they slid over her flesh. The celestial mage couldn't help the horrified shriek that left her as she shook her arms to rid herself of the dark magic encircling her.

"What the hell is happening to me!?" Lucy screamed as she stood from the bed trying to shake the shadows off her skin, which was proving useless as they just continued to wrap around her body. The blonde's head was spinning while vertigo caught up with her fast movement as her eyes started to have a hard time focusing. Through her blurred and unfocused vision, the blonde watched as Wendy sat up on the bed, being startled from her sleep by Lucy's frantic cries of terror.

"Lucy!" Lucy watched as the small girl leaped from the bed to stand in front of her trying to figure out what she could do to help, but the blonde just backed away from her, she couldn't control this magic and she didn't want anyone to get hurt if something was to go wrong. Even though the magic felt different and wasn't hurting her now, the celestial mage still didn't trust it or was even comfortable with it at all.

"Wendy, Levy. Stay away from me, I don't know what is happening, but I do know that I can't control it, and I don't want either of you to get hurt." Lucy felt an overwhelming pull on her magic as it tried to will her out of the infirmary. Lucy had no idea where the magic was trying to take her, but the unknown desire pushed her to take a step closer to the door. The blonde clutched the side of her head as the shadows dancing around her, covering her whole body and blurring her already impaired vision as they swallowed her within their darkness.

The pin pricking sensation had started to feel like jabs of the end of a dull blade making her want to rip her hair out as the constant tug became more forceful. The Fairy Tail mage closed her eyes as she felt the rhythmic humming under her skin turn to a violent pulse as the shadows thrashed chaotically around her.

Lucy couldn't control herself anymore as she opened her eyes once again to look at the two shocked bluenette's standing just a few feet from her and the raging darkness. The door was so close, and she couldn't stop herself from taking a step forward, finally deciding to give in to its will. She looked at her two guildmates before she took another step forward.

"Lucy, your eyes... They're red!" Lucy flung herself into the door, fumbling with the handle as she ripped it open, the powerful force causing it to slam into the wall. The blonde didn't hesitate as she stumbled into the hallway then took off into a full sprint, paying no mind to the two shocked girls calling her name. She could only hope that she didn't run into anything or anyone since her vision was still messed up.

* * *

"Rogue, are we going to go see Miss Fairy again soon!? Will we be staying with her again?" Rogue watched the little exceed as he sat on the windowsill of Sting's office while staring out into the darkening sky as night approached. The ebony haired slayer pushed off the wall he had been leaning on while listening to the white dragon slayer and the master of Fairy Tail talk. The dark-haired slayer had been awake for a few hours now but hadn't considered going to see Lucy until it was closer to night time.

Plus, ever since he pushed some of his own magic into her, he could sense when and if she was in distress based on how his magic reacted to her own emotions, something Rogue learned not even an hour after he had done it. The crimson eyed slayer sighed as he realized what a drawback that was.

The blonde was a walking ball of random emotions right now and he knew just from everything she had experienced that it was likely for anything to set her into a spiraling wind of anxiety or stress. Her emotions would most likely end up weighing down on him in the long run if he wasn't able to remove not only his own, but his counterpart's shadows from her as well.

"I see, so you really do intend on staying with my child every night until this whole ordeal is solved?" Rogue looked away from his bored feline to look back at the other two men in the room. His ruby gaze landed on the small form of master Makarov as he addressed him.

"Stress and anxiety seem to trigger the shadows from my future counterpart. I'm starting to believe I will need to be with her all the time, rather than just at night." Rogue sighed as he let that information setting between the other two men. Surely the Fairy Tail master must know just how much anxiety and stress the girl was under, and therefore understand just how serious this situation was. Lucy would need him as a constant babysitter.

"That is a very big weight to be put on one man's shoulders. Are you sure you are able to carry Lucy's burdens along with your own?" Rogue forced his gaze back to the old master. What did he mean? Obviously, the shadow mage didn't have a choice in this situation; it was either help Lucy or watch her slowly lose herself even more than she already has. Her fate was in his hands and he was not about to let an innocent woman be consumed by his magic whether it was his future self or not.

"I have no other choice. I will not let the magic from a part of me destroy her." The ebony haired slayer turned to look out the window once more, he had heard small snores start up a few minutes ago and had only assumed that Frosch had fallen asleep once again. He pets the cat on the head while he watched the sun fall deeper beyond the horizon. Soon it would be night, and Rogue would need to make his way to the infirmary.

A soft knock at the door rung throughout the room before the door slipped open to reveal the small form of Yukino, she smiled and waved while she walked into the office.

"Wendy says Lucy is mostly healed so she can be moved to an actual room now!" The silver-haired mage's excitement didn't go unnoticed as Rogue watched a grin spread out on master Makarov and Sting's faces. Good, that meant that Rogue didn't have to go near that room anymore. The smell of alcohol and antiseptics were always too much for his nose to handle.

"That's great news, Yukino! Rogue, do you want her to be on your floor? Or just put her on Yukino's?" The shadow dragon slayer watched as a frown formed on Yukino's face. Obviously, the silver-haired woman wanted the blonde to be put in a room on her floor, but Rogue couldn't let Yukino have this one. Lucy needed to be a little bit closer to him, so he had better access to her just in case she ends up having another magic meltdown.

Even though Yukino wanted to help her, she can't calm her the way that his magic could. How odd was it that, just Rogue's presence can put stress on her, causing her to have an anxiety attack, yet he was also the one to stop it. How ironic.

"She needs to be put on the 4th floor so I can efficiently access her if she becomes out of control." Rogue laughed inwardly as Yukino huffed a bit while their blonde guild master just nodded with a sly grin. Yeah, Rogue will definitely end up getting harassed for his choice, by both Sting and Yukino. The ebony haired mage rolled his eyes, he could never win no matter what he does.

"Alright, it might be a little odd for Lucy, since the 4th floor is part of the men's dormitory, but we can make an exception. Let me find a key to an empty room that is closest to you." Rogue watched as Sting fumbled around in his desk before producing a book which Rogue could only assume was the room log. After watching Sting flip through a few pages and saying, 'Ah ha!' a few times, Sting finally fished out a key from his desk drawer and handed it to Yukino.

"Okay, looks like Lucy will be just down the hall from you, Rogue. Yukino, why don't you go ahead and take Lucy up to the room and help her get settled in." Yukino hesitantly took the key from Sting while sighing a bit. Rogue couldn't help the amusement that showed on his face, surely Yukino couldn't really be that upset about it, could she?

"Okay, I will after I get her food. Wendy doesn't want Lucy taking the stairs for a few days, so I'm not exactly sure how to get her up there." Rogue watched as the silver-haired woman slumped to the door, her shoulders drooping down in disappointment. The dark-haired slayer looked back to Sting to see him looking back at him only to shrug his shoulders with a small grin. Obviously, Sting thought Yukino's display of emotions was just as amusing as Rogue did.

Rogue's smirk dropped while he stood up straight, as soon as Yukino opened the door his muscles tensed when he felt the usual pulling on his magic increase as the blonde's scent drifted through the open door. It wasn't just her intoxicating aroma that had practically set Rogue into a full-on sprint as much as it was the fear along with the pressure of his magic that had worried him the most. The smell of salt was heavy in the air as it mixed with her unique scent, letting the slayer know that Lucy was also crying. He could feel his magic push against his skin as the shadows tried to break away from his body to help him move fast toward his destination.

Rogue tossed a glance over his shoulder as he tore through the hallway, Yukino, Sting and the Fairy Tail master followed close behind him. Rogue had no doubt that Sting had filled the other two in on exactly what was going on since the other slayer could also feel the magical power along with Lucy's scent. Rogue moved his line of sight back to the hallway in front of him just in time to see a mass of shadows around the corner to his right. He couldn't help his step from faltering as he skidded to a halt in the middle of the hall.

"Lucy! Stop! You shouldn't be moving around so much!" Rogue moved his eyes from the massive wall of mixed shadows to see both blue haired girls from Fairy Tail come to a halt at the corner of the hall. Rogue heard both a feminine and masculine gasp be exhaled from just behind him as he watched the shadows start to fade more and more until the silhouette of a person was just visible beneath the swirling of magic.

Rogue could feel the gravitational pull that was forcing him to put one foot in front of the other as he slowly made his way to the figure that was none other than Lucy. The closer he got to her, the more the shadows started to intertwine around her body making it harder for him to control his own magic. It was almost as if she was a catalyst that forced his magic into an uncontrollable frenzy to the point of it actually hurting to hold it in.

The ebony haired dragon slayer watched mesmerized as Lucy's messy blonde hair whipped at her face while it flew around her shoulders as the shadows diminished to only long black wisps that danced around her body. His own magic that was housed in her body called out to him as they pulled him to move closer.

Rogue could only stare into the dark red irises that mirrored his own crimson gaze, they held so much terror and helplessness that the shadow mage felt a stab in his chest as he watched tears slide down her rosy cheeks. The ink black markings that wrapped around her body in a harsh, yet beautiful contrast to her pale skin elated him.

She bared the markings of a shadow dragon slayer even though she wasn't one, and that had his emotions in a frenzy as they tried to decide exactly how he felt about the way she looked positively alluring to him.

When Rogue first saw Lucy walking down the hallway with his shadow slayer markings and the same red irises that he had, he felt something stir deep within him, something he had never really felt before and it made him uneasy. When the confused slayer realized that what he was feeling was actually desire and possessiveness toward the blonde-haired mage, he had felt ashamed of himself.

The overwhelming heat that had flooded his body made him feel despicable when he noticed just how terrified and disoriented she truly was. Rogue had no right to feel the way he did, especially when the reason he desired her, was the same reason she was suffering.

The crimson eyed slayer stepped even closer to the chaotic and frightened woman until he was just out of reach from her. The shadows twisting around her body reached out to him, trying to wrap their way around his body as well. Rogue could feel that the shadows were now a strange mix of his future self's magic along with his own, and the feeling made his skin tingle as he took one more step closer while bringing his hand up to wipe a stray tear that had traveled down the celestial mage's cheek.

Rogue felt his heart drop as his lungs constrict when he heard a soft whimper escape the blonde's pink lips when she leaned into his touch. Rogue felt slightly awkward as he rubbed his thumb under her large crimson eye. While it seemed, Rogue had a way of calming the shadows in Lucy, she had the opposite effect on him. His magic was buzzing under his fingertips as he caressed the blonde mage's face once more before bringing his hand back down to his side. When Rogue realized how close he was to her, he slowly tried to step back out her personal space. However, he was taken by surprise when he felt her body collide into his own.

"Lucy?!" Rogue's gasped as he felt her hands curl into the front of his kimono, not seeming to mind the bite of his chest armor when she buried her head the best she could into his chest. Rogue looked at the small celestial woman, then all around to the other people who had gathered to watch the display between the two. Rogue knew Sting was going to have a hell of a time messing with him about this later.

What was he supposed to do? Lucy was supposed to be scared of men, and not to mention, scared of him! So why exactly was she clinging on to him like he was her lifeline? The slayer looked down again to see soft brown eyes staring back at him.

* * *

Lucy opened her eyes once again, only this time she could see clearly, as if she was back to her own self. When the shadow dragon slayer had touched her cheek she'd felt calm, almost tranquil when she felt his cool hands ghost over the skin just below her eyes.

In all honesty, the blonde hadn't been ready for Rogue to move away from her, so she did the only thing she could think of. She collided with his body, making sure to wrap her hands into his kimono so he wouldn't try to move away from her again. The still slightly disoriented blonde needed some type of support to keep her grounded as she came back to reality from what she could assume was a terrifying anxiety attack.

The celestial mage could feel her heart pounding in her chest while she tried to unravel the aching pain that had been coiling inside her while she searched for the source of the irritating pull that had possessed her to run out of the infirmary.

It would seem that the pull from the magic had lead Lucy straight into the dragon slayer that they were supposed to belong to, and the blonde couldn't deny while she felt slightly uneasy, that just being close to him had made the foreign magic within her settle back down.

The realization that the closer Rogue got to her, the more the pain started to dissipate, so of course it was only natural that she wanted to keep him close. At least, that is what she was telling herself as she still clung to the shadow dragon slayer.

She breathed in the smell of his clothes as she the foreign magic calm even more. The overwhelming shadows had slunk back into the depths of her body as the pinprick like tingling stopped. Though her body may have been returning to normal, her mind was going haywire with a thousand different emotions as she realized just exactly who she was clinging to.

She shouldn't have grabbed him, she was obviously still uncomfortable around the crimson eyed man, so why did she feel so relieved to be near him?

Why did being pressed up next to his body feel so right yet so wrong all at the same time?

Being pressed up next to the ebony haired male made Lucy's thoughts divert in a whole different direction. The celestial spirit key holder couldn't help the heat that flooded her cheeks as she remembered the scandalous dream she had had earlier that morning while she slept peacefully for the first time in so long.

She had spurts of the dream flash into her mind as she tried to push her face awkwardly into his armored chest to keep anyone from seeing just how red-faced she was. It was then that Lucy could hear the hushed questions that were being whispered around them, making her even more aware of just how odd she and the slayer must look pressed up against one another. Lucy took a chance to peek up to look at Rogue, praying to Mavis that he didn't look down at the same time.

If Lucy didn't feel embarrassed enough as it was, she was sure her face had to have matched the color of Erza's hair when she met Rogue's shocked gaze head-on while she looked up from her hiding place in his chest. The blonde wanted to move away from him, but his shocked and lost expression had her feet rooted to the ground.

Great, she had practically thrown herself onto the guy that was trying his hardest to help her, as if things weren't awkward enough with just her trauma with the future Rogue, and the sexual dream she had, now she can add being a complete freaking moron to the list as well.

Lucy bent her head down again as she felt tears fill her eyes again. She couldn't take it; all the emotions were just too much for her right now. She was about to step back away from Rogue and make a run for it down the hall, even though she was sure she didn't know where the infirmary was anymore.

But before the embarrassed woman could even move away, she felt Rogue put his hand on her arm, the blonde quickly forced her head up just as he addressed the hallway full of spectators.

"I'm going to go ahead and take Lucy to her room since she isn't supposed to be taking the stairs. Yukino, give me the key. Sting, wipe that ridiculous grin off your face, and Wendy, please go with Yukino to get anything Lucy might have left in the infirmary." Lucy watched in shock as the shadow mage reached back to take the key that her silver-haired friend had extended out to him, while Sting scowled bitterly at the back of Rogue's head.

Lucy thought it was pretty funny how much the twin slayers really did act like siblings. The blonde's thoughts were cut off when she let out a small yelp as Rogue bent to pick her up like some sort of bride, not even taking a moment to let her adjust before he took off down the hallway and to the staircase.

"Hold on." Lucy looked up to see his crimson eyes narrow down the path in front of him. Lucy was about to ask why she needs to hold on, but instead, a shriek come out of her mouth when she felt Rogue's shadows burst around them. They wrapped around the two as they helped carry the dragon slayer at a fast speed up the stairs until he was at another landing for a different floor Lucy had never been on.

"After that little display, you are definitely staying close to me." The blonde's eyes widened when she heard him whisper to her while he walked down the hallway until they came to a door. Lucy watched Rogue use her legs to point to it before continuing down the hall some more.

"That was my room. And this room right here, is yours." Lucy lifted her head to look at the brown wooden door that the shadow mage had set her down in front of.

So, she wasn't on Yukino's floor, after all, it would seem. Lucy blushed as she backed away from the tall male, so he could unlock the door for her before he pushed it open to let her inside.

"Th.. Thank you, Rogue." Lucy stammered as she realized just how awkward things were going to be between them now. She was growing more accustom to him, and it was becoming easier for her to distinguish the differences between the future Rogue and the present Rogue now.

It was odd how she didn't really shy away from him like other males, even though she would think the shadow mage would be the one male that she would avoid the most, but it would seem the mysterious dragon slayer was the one she needed the most.


	13. Chapter 13

**WARNING:  Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**This chapter is Beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should go check them out!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 13**

* * *

Levy couldn't help the sweat drop that formed on her forehead while she watched helplessly as the shadow dragon slayer made off with her emotionally unstable best friend. The petite woman had wanted nothing more than to go after them, so she could stop Rogue from taking Lucy away.

She wouldn't lie, the solid script mage was nervous for the blonde, she didn't know what to expect having both the celestial and shadow mage alone together but seeing as how Lucy didn't actually object to being wrapped up in his arms, Levy made herself slowly lower the arm she had extended to stop Rogue.

It was difficult for her, but after witnessing the powerful calming effect just the presence of Rogue seemed to have on Lucy, the blue-haired woman reluctantly decided she should trust Rogue with her blonde best friend.

Before coming to Sabertooth, Levy didn't know the extent of how exactly the shadow magic was eating at Lucy, it was only when she had come face to face with the shadow engulfed blonde for herself that the blue haired mage realized just how far the foreign magic had rooted itself within the celestial mage's body.

Levy shivered while she recalled staring into Lucy's blood red irises right after she had opened them just before making a break out of the infirmary. The crimson gaze of her best friend had shocked Levy into standing still for a good while until she realized she needed to go after the shadow covered blonde.

It wasn't until Wendy's cries of frustration were verbalized in the form of angry authoritative shouts that Levy jumped into action.

"Master, can I speak with you? It's important. Sting can you please join us as well?" the petite bluenette addressed the small Fairy Tail master still standing awestruck by the amused blonde slayer. The master's expression -though full of curiosity- was replaced with a grim frown that played across his lips as he turned to look at her.

Levy could tell he was obviously just as shocked as everyone else by the commotion he had just witnessed. Sting nodded his head as he sent a look to Yukino before both she and Wendy made their way back to the infirmary to do as Rogue asked.

"Of course, my child." Makarov watched as Sting waved them back into the direction of his office. The walk was quiet and tense as they made their way down the halls. Levy had so many thoughts running through her head that she could already feel a slight headache forming while she tried to figure out how to start the conversation she was about to have.

The solid script mage knew that she was about to tell both the two guild masters information that was told to her in secret and expose such sensitive information would likely make a huge an impact of both hers and Lucy's friendship.

Levy just hoped that the blonde would find it in her heart to understand why she was going to do what she was about to do. Knowing that Lucy was an extremely forgiving person on top of being understanding as well, made Levy's nerves calm while she prayed to Mavis that her best friend would understand her reasoning, if not now, then sometime in the future.

After all, a fool would even be able to see the stress and anxiety that was being pushed on to Lucy, just the thought of seeing her salmon haired best friend had her losing control over herself, the blonde was petrified of seeing her teammates again. But not just because of what had happened to her when she was attacked, but because she couldn't control herself anymore.

Levy could tell that the celestial mage honestly didn't have any control over what the shadows might do to her when the time came for her to see Natsu again. The sorrow, the pain, the fear, even good emotions, no one would know what would set Lucy off into another chaotic rampaging ball of shadows.

Levy shook her head while she followed both guild masters into Sting's office, she had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't even notice which ways they had taken. Her body had been on autopilot, blindly following the two men in front of her as she silently worked out her speech in her head.

Levy took a deep breath as she waited close to the door, not even bothering to take a seat while the two men returned to the spots they were in before following Rogue. The petite woman observed as the two men turned to give her their full attention.

It was now or never, and Levy knew she could not, no- she would not just stand by and let Lucy be put under more emotional strain than she already was.

"Master, Lucy told me something that both Loke and Sting left out when they told us what happened to her when she was attacked. I'm worried about sending both Natsu and Gray here because of it, especially Natsu. Sting, I'm sure you already know what I'm referring to, and I was thinking you would have some input on this subject as well." Levy watched the Master as he shifted in his chair while he listened carefully. Sting, however, had started to nod his head as he listened to Levy talk, obviously, he had been putting some thought into the repercussions of sending Natsu before Lucy was ready as well.

"One of the bandits raped her, Master. She gets anxious and scared when any man gets close to her, I know you noticed it earlier when you got a little too close to her. I'm scared of what Natsu is going to do when he finds out, either he will smell the difference, or she will completely panic like she just did a few minutes ago. That all happened just from the anxiety of the thought of seeing both Natsu and Gray, imagine what it is going to be like when she actually does see him!" Levy threw her arms around while she tried her hardest to get her point across. The blue-haired woman felt low telling someone Lucy's personal business, but she really was just trying to look out for the blonde, and right now Levy felt that sending both the guys to see her in the next group would be a huge mistake.

Lucy just wasn't ready for that type of stress, especially since their pyro guildmate was as uncontrollable and as unpredictable as the fire he wields. There was no telling what Natsu's reaction was going to be when he sees his blonde best friend, but they did have a vague idea of what would happen if Lucy loses control of that magic inside her again.

The Fairy Tail guild master stood on the chair as his eyes widened while Sting kept his head down while still leaning on the side of his desk. This was an extremely sore subject for all of them, but it needed to be brought to the Fairy Tail's master's attention. Only he would be able to stop Natsu or Gray from coming if he saw it was what was necessary in the name of Lucy's recovery.

"I did notice the way she moved away from me, I just never thought that would be the reason why. You say the whole reason she was covered head to two in shadows was all because of just talking about the possibilities of seeing Natsu? This is not good, especially since Natsu considers Lucy a sister and now she bared the markings of another dragon slayer's magic. None of this will end well." Levy nodded as she noticed the old master shake his head from side to side while the Sabertooth master perked up a bit while a confused look played across his face.

"Why would it matter that blondie has Rogue's markings? Is that different then her having his shadows in her? She has had those shadows in her for a long time before she even came here, so why would it make a difference now?" Levy watched as Sting's curiosity got the better of him.

The blue haired woman actually believed she had the answer to his question, after all, she did have a few books on both dragons and dragon slayers since she wanted to learn a little more about Gajeel's instincts and behavioral habits.

Information on both the dragons and slayers had dwindled over the years as books and archives had either become lost or damaged, so much so that humans believed that Dragon's never actually existed. Eventually, they became just myths and legends over the years making it hard to distinguish actual facts from folklore.

"It's completely plausible that both Natsu and Rogue will become somewhat possessive over Lucy. Natsu's possessiveness would show almost immediately considering how long he and Lucy have been away from one another noticing that not only did she look different but smelled different now. That fact would make his dragon instincts go haywire." The blue haired woman sighed from the thought of the already explosive slayer going into a fit of rage.

"Not only would he most likely feel as though Lucy had betrayed him, but he would probably try to fight Rogue since Natsu does consider Lucy his family. The sad thing is, the rational part of Natsu would realize this wasn't the case, but his instinctual side wouldn't." Levy watched as the dragon slayer's eyes widened while the petite mage just smirked, who knew that her books would come in handy at a moment like this?

"I've noticed blondie's scent had started to change to smell more like Rogue, but I don't exactly know why, plus the magic in her is starting to feel more and more like his own as well, but I haven't seen him act possessive over her." Levy sighed while the Sabertooth master rubbed the back of his neck.

Were all guys complete idiots? Because, it was starting to seem like it. Levy was cut off before she could ask just that.

"Rogue must be trying to mask the shadows of the future Rogue with his own inside of Lucy." Levy averted her gaze from the confused blonde to the old master sitting cross-legged in the chair once again. That would explain what Sting was saying, but wouldn't that mean that the ebony haired slayer was pushing more magic in Lucy?

It would seem like there would be some dangerous repercussions in doing so. Levy would have to try and find a book and research that a little more on that subject later.

"That emo bastard! Is he trying to kill her?" Sting yelled at the ceiling while stretching out his arm, obviously, his train of thought was geared in the same direction as Levy's.

"No, it's just the opposite; he's trying to save her. I will trust him with my child, because I have no other options, and from the looks of the situation in the hallway, Lucy does not have any objections either. Now, we must decide on what to do about Natsu." Both Levy and Sting stared wide-eyed at the old master as he jumped from the chair to stand on Sting's desk.

"So, let's make a plan!"

* * *

Lucy turned to step inside the now opened door. She was surprised by the size of the room, it wasn't as big as her apartment of course, but it was at least medium in size and big enough to accommodate a full-sized bed, a dresser, and a small desk. The stark white walls only seemed to make the room look bigger as she looked around the room more. On the other side of the room were two other doors which she could only assume one lead to a bathroom and the other a closet.

The blonde had been so occupied with checking out her new surroundings that she didn't even realize that Rogue was still standing in the doorway until he cleared his throat. Lucy jumped a little before she looked over her shoulder to see the dark-haired dragon slayer. She blushed a little realizing how she must look like a little kid in a new store.

Lucy eyed Rogue while he stood leaning against the door frame, it was a little unsettling being alone with him not only because she was still trying to overcome her fears of him, but because of the extremely embarrassing dream she had had last night.

Every time she looked at the shadow mage she would have to quickly look away to hide the blush that would slowly creep its way onto her face, it also didn't help that she kept remembering the way she had pressed her body into his not even twenty minutes ago. Lucy was having a silent battle within herself as she decided to turn toward the ebony haired man who was still silently observing her.

"Could you please stop staring at me? It's making me a little uncomfortable, and it doesn't help that you are still standing in the doorway like some type of bodyguard" Lucy looked at the floor while she spoke to the dragon slayer, little did she know Rogue was caught off guard.

He honestly didn't even realize that he had been staring at her, he had been so lost in thought while also trying to keep his magic at bay that he didn't even notice that he had been making her feel uneasy. The dragon slayer turned his head to the side as he tried to rectify the problem only to have his gaze end up locking onto the door handle.

"I didn't realize I was making you uncomfortable, and for that I'm sorry. I don't mean to look like I'm a bodyguard, but I refuse to enter your room unless you give me permission since I was trying to avoid making you uncomfortable. The only times I will ever enter without permission is if I feel a surge of magic coming from you, since you most likely won't be in the right state of mind." Lucy shook her head from side to side as she lightly slapped her cheeks to help her focus a little, Rogue was so blunt and upfront when he spoke it was shocking. It was almost as if he had absolutely nothing to hide or didn't care in the least what anyone would think of him.

The blonde sighed while she moved from the center of the room to sit on the bed, it was obvious to her that Rogue was a mysterious person, but it was more than just that. There was something she couldn't quite figure out about the dragon slayer that felt completely different to her now than it did when she was first brought to the Sabertooth guild.

Maybe it wasn't that he was different, but she had somehow changed in such a short period of time as well. Lucy took a moment to look down at her arms that were still covered with the weird black markings. She let out another sigh, yes, she had been the one that changed, not him.

"You can come in. I guess I should thank you once again for calming me, and then bringing me to my room. I was about to make a run for it again even though I had no idea where I was going to go since I have no clue where the infirmary is anymore. Everything got so hazy, and my mind wasn't working, I was drawn to you by this magic, I guess." Lucy let her words trail off as she realized she had started to ramble while trying to thank the slayer again. She looked up from her lap where she had been gripping the fabric while talking, she watched as Rogue moved from the doorway to cross the length of her room to sit in the desk chair.

"There is no need to thank me. Thank you for letting me come in. Though, if I am going to be honest, I probably would have hung around in the hallway regardless of whether you let me in or not, something tells me if I would have left you alone in here, I would have ended up being beaten by three angry women when they came to see you. Not to mention, I myself don't feel very comfortable leaving you after seeing you like that." The ebony haired man had a hard time admitting just how much he was worried about the blonde.

He took a quick glance at her exposed arms that still adorn the markings of his shadow magic, was that one of the consequences of pushing his own magic within her along with his future counterpart's magic?

Lucy watched with wide eyes as Rogue leaned back in the chair while he stared up at the ceiling, yes, she kind of figured that Rogue would be in a world of trouble with Yukino no matter what, because Lucy knew just how much the silver-haired mage wanted her to be on the same floor as her.

But the blonde hadn't even thought about Levy or Wendy being mad at the shadow mage in front of her, how could they be? He's done so much for her, they would be blind to not notice that fact.

"I do have one question for you, Lucy. Does the shadow magic feel different since you woke up this morning?" Lucy blanched at the dragon slayer, it was a simple question so why was she having a hard time trying to rack her brain for the perfect answer? Yes, the magic felt different, but she didn't have any clue why, and it wasn't just the magic, she herself was suddenly feeling very different.

Did Rogue suspect that of her? Did he know something she didn't about what was happening to her?

"Yes, but it's not just the magic. I feel different." Lucy forced her eyes to look up from her lap once again, Lucy had actually started to chalk up her feeling different on account of the odd dream she had had and the fact that she actually got a good nice rest, unlike usual, but from the look in the shadow mage's eyes, she had a suspicion that he might have been the reason she even had the weird dream in the first place.

Is it possible he did something to her?

Because instead of feeling the malice hateful shadow magic, it was more like the magic the dragon slayer himself put off, calm, and tranquil, but still as difficult to contain as always.

"I believe I might be heading in the right direction to remove the magic, if not, then at least slowing down the process of consuming your soul but after seeing you today, I'm worried of the side effects my actions might have, it seems they are counterproductive in a way." Lucy had no idea what Rogue was talking about. What exactly did he mean, 'counterproductive'?

What exactly did he do to her?

"What did you do to me, Rogue?" Lucy tried to keep her voice from shaking as she asked the question; she could feel her anxiety tighten around her heart while she waited for the ebony haired slayer to explain what exactly was going on with her. The blonde clenched her fist at her side while she watched his scarlet gaze soften a bit as he looked into her worried brown eyes.

"Because my future counter-parts magic had already started to merge with your soul, I couldn't try to forcefully take it from you. If I did, I would have done more harm, possibly even stealing your ability to use magic altogether. You were starting to lose yourself and your sanity, I couldn't control the shadows well enough to keep them from consuming you." Lucy felt a small tear slide down her cheek as she listened to the shadow dragon slayer while he let out a small regretful chuckle as he brought one of his hands to his head to push his hair back from his forehead. Lucy shook as she listened to him continue.

"So, I used my own shadows to mask the dark magic as a way of a temporary fix to slow them. I took a gamble, it was either let the shadows completely take you over, or try and force more magic within you, a magic that I could control to overwhelm the darker shadows. It seems to have worked, but as I suspected, there are side effects to my recklessness, I'm sorry, Lucy. I don't know what the outcome will be." Lucy clenched her teeth as she tried to keep from lashing out at the shadow mage.

She watched as the shadow wizard put his head in his hands, Lucy released her hold on the sheets of the bed that she had unknowingly grabbed to use as an anchor while she listened to him speak. Yes, Lucy was downright pissed, but not because of Rogue entirely. She was more pissed off at herself because she just couldn't seem to handle anything on her own, and she just couldn't find it within herself to be angry at the dragon slayer that was sitting across her.

Though she was terrified of what she was becoming and what would happen to her in the future if Rogue's plan didn't work out, she could not take it out the one and the only person that was giving his all to try and save her from the mess she was in.

Lucy calmed herself as she blinked back the tears that were overwhelming her vision while she looked over to Rogue sitting in the chair. Even though she didn't know him, the celestial mage had a hunch that it wasn't normal for the black-haired male to show his emotions, and right now he looked positively conflicted.

Lucy took in a shaky breath as she stopped the flow of tears, she couldn't put her finger on it, but she did not like seeing Rogue look so broken, as if he had failed her.

"I forgive you. I understand that you are only trying to help me, plus, I mean I guess it is kind of working since I didn't have a nightmare last night, and I haven't been feeling a weight like something evil was staring down at me all day." Lucy rubbed the back of her head as she tried to make sense of everything while still trying to cheer up the dragon slayer.

She was still scared for her future, but she couldn't deny that besides the crazy anxiety attack that triggered a shadow epidemic earlier she had felt better today than she had felt in a whole month. At least now she knew it was all Rogue's doing.

Honestly, Lucy didn't know where she would be right now if it wasn't for him, in some ways she was glad that fate had sent her down the narrow, overgrown path. Surely if she hadn't, she would have never come into contact with the dragon slayer and she would have probably already been driven to insanity.

"I'm glad to hear you didn't have a nightmare last night, did you have a good dream instead?" Lucy shook her head back and forth frantically as she tried to hide the blush that had overtaken her once tear-stained cheeks.

As soon as Rogue had asked her about having a dream, the blonde couldn't stop the overflow of scenes that played in her head, repeating her scandalous dream from the night before, which caused her to stutter while she tried to form a coherent sentence.

Rogue noticed how flustered the celestial mage had become when he asked about her dream and tried but failed to hide the confusion and amusement playing across his face. His curiosity only deepened as he watched Lucy excuse herself to the bathroom with a deep bow before running and locking the door behind her.

It wasn't long after the door had slammed shut that he heard a string of cusses from behind the closed wooden bathroom door. Rogue removed his curious gaze from the bathroom just as he heard a soft knock before the bedroom door swung open to reveal three young women.

"Oh, Rogue you're still here. Where is Lucy?" Rogue looked at the three mages before he pointed to the bathroom where the flustered blonde could still be heard cussing along with the sound of running water. All the girls looked from one another before Yukino spoke once again with narrowed eyes.

"What did you do to her?" The slayer looked taken aback as his silver-haired guildmate accused him of doing something to the blonde celestial mage. He couldn't help the tick mark that formed on his head as he stood from the chair in defense while clenching his fist.

"I didn't do anything, I just asked her if she had a nice dream last night since she said she didn't have a nightmare and then she ran into the bathroom." Rogue stopped yelling and shaking his fist when he heard a loud feminine laugh sound throughout the now crowded room.

It didn't take him long to pinpoint the source of the laugh only to look down at the petite bluenette who was leaning over with her hands on her knees laughing so hard that her face had turned completely red.

"Oh Mavis, that is hilarious, but to answer your question, she had a wonderful dream, Rogue." Rogue looked from Levy who had been wiping stray tears from her eyes to Yukino, when he saw she was just as confused as he was, he decided to drop the subject. The ebony haired slayer watched as Wendy tried to help Levy over to Lucy's bed, so she could recover from her laughing fit while Yukino set down a bag full of stuff in the chair he had once been sitting in.

Rogue said his goodbyes before he slipped out of the opened door to head to his own room, he needed a hot shower and comfortable clothing because at this rate all the females in that room were going to drive him insane.

Rogue just didn't think he's capable of understanding females and there crazy and random emotions, how Sting would handle Yukino was an enigma of its own.

Rogue sighed while he entered his room, taking one last glance at the door down the hall from him, he could still hear the feminine laughter of all the women occupy the room.

Sweet lord, please don't tell him he would be forced to listen to them all night long. Why do women have to be so loud!?


	14. Chapter 14

**WARNING: Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

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**Chapter 14**

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Lucy sighed while she lay back against the soft pillow of her bed. It had been three long and difficult weeks since the master, Levy, and Wendy had left Sabertooth, only to be replaced by other Fairy Tail members. None of which had that lopsided grin and messy pink hair that had the blonde's emotions so conflicted.

Of course she wanted to see her best friend again, but her anxiety would always remind her of the inevitable. Lucy grabbed the shirt of her crop top where her beating heart lay just below, it felt like a small hole had started to form in her heart when a new group of fairies would come, then depart once again. The longer she was away from her own home, being cooped up within the walls of Sabertooth, the more she felt the hole grow wider and wider.

Lucy didn't try to hold in the tears as they fell silently down her cheek and on to the white material of the pillowcase beneath her head. The blonde would always be grateful to the kind and generous members of the Sabertooth guild, but Lucy couldn't stop herself from feeling so broken up inside as the weeks had passed by with no sign of the fire dragon slayer.

She missed Fairy Tail so deeply that her heart yearned for her own apartment, and her own home and to see the people that she had grown so accustomed to seeing every day. She missed going on missions and seeing the happy and carefree faces of her guildmates as they roughhoused around the Guildhall.

A day or two with them wasn't long enough for her anymore, she wanted her family back.

The celestial mage's nightmares had sadly returned a few nights after Levy, Wendy and the master left to go back to Fairy Tail, it was the same day that Lucy felt the hole in her heart form as she watched them leave. Lucy moved her clenched fist up to her eyes as she let a small sob escape her chapped lips while she recalled the morning she had seen the small group off.

Master had pulled her aside to speak to her alone with Levy as they ventured out of the Sabertooth building before everyone else.

_"Lucy, my child, I'm going to have to postpone sending both Natsu and Gray to see you. It would not be the best option for either you or Natsu. You are under too much stress as it is, and having Natsu here at Sabertooth under these circumstances would only cause chaos. You two must hold off on meeting again until you can control your emotions, or control the overflow of the magic inside you." Lucy looked from the small master to her best friend as she felt her heart shatter into pieces while a voice in her head whispered that he was right._

_She grits her teeth while tears threatened to spill over when she looked at both the old master and the blue-haired solid script-mage. It was only then that Lucy noticed just how far the master had chosen to stand away from her. Lucy felt her wide eyes land back onto Levy who had her eyes cast downward toward the ground beneath their feet._

_"You told him?" Lucy's words came out in a whisper as she watched Levy flinch from the broken tone of the blonde's voice. Something deep within Lucy broke while she dropped to her knees. Of course, Levy had told the master about what had happened to her, there was no chance in hell Levy was going to let any of the other male guild members come sauntering up to Sabertooth after what Lucy did the first day the small group had arrived._

_Lucy clenched her hands in her lap as she felt small arms wrap around her shoulders._

_"D..did you tell Na..Natsu yet?" The blonde managed to choke out while she brought her arms up to wrap around the smaller mage. She wanted to push the petite woman back and away from her, but she knew she couldn't do that. Levy was only looking out for the blonde and thinking about her wellbeing in the long run, and Lucy would be the first to admit she was a little scared to see Natsu again as well._

_The blonde felt Levy shake her head no before she pulled back a little._

_"I only told Master because he is the only one that can stop Natsu from coming, we didn't tell him anything yet. I'm actually just a bit afraid of how he is going to react when we get back and tell him he can't see you. Hopefully, he doesn't burn down the guild." Lucy watched as Levy gave a weak laugh that didn't reach her eyes. Natsu was definitely as unpredictable as the fire that he breathed, and the celestial fairy knew that there was no telling what the irate fire dragon slayer would do._

_Part of Lucy wanted to say Natsu would fight tooth and nail to come to Sabertooth regardless of being told he couldn't. The thought made the blonde cringe._

_"You know he is going to try and come here anyway." Lucy sighed while she wiped the tears from her eyes when she looked back at the Master who nodded. It was then that Yukino decided to walk outside of the Sabertooth's double doors to see Lucy a crying mess on the front lawn._

_"Lucy! What happened? You didn't hurt yourself did you?" Lucy let Levy help her stand back up as she continued to rub at her eyes relentlessly as more Saber members filed out of the double doors as well, no doubt to see the small group of fairies off on their journey back to their own guild._

_"I'm fine! I'm fine, I promise!" Lucy gave the silver-haired woman a wide smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, but it seemed to convince the female saber enough._

_Lucy felt like she was slowly being chipped away bit by bit on the inside when she said her goodbyes to her guild members. She longed to return back to the guild with them, but knew that was near to impossible at the moment._

_So the blonde hid the aching pain in her chest by smiling as she waved until the three members could no longer be seen walking on the paved path in front of the guild._

Lucy turned over onto her stomach as she grabbed the pillow with both her arms while she buried her tear-stained face into the soft material before she let out a frustrated scream. After she was sure her scream of frustration hadn't woken any other Sabertooth members, she turned to lie on her side while she let the tears fall while waiting for sleep to come to her once more.

* * *

Rogue had been lying face down on his pillow trying to fall asleep but no matter which way he moved his body, sleep would not come to him.

The ebony haired male sighed while rubbing his eyes. Ever since he had made the decision to move Lucy into a room down the hall from him, he could feel his resolve on his magic slip. Rogue had expected the blonde to be emotional, especially given her situation, but he had not expected her emotions to do a one-eighty as soon as the first group of fairies left three weeks ago.

The desire to go to her had spiked at an alarming rate when her emotions started to take a rapid turn for the worst. It was obvious that the blonde had become depressed the more she watched her guildmates come and go.

Rogue clenched his jaw when he felt a wave of despair crash down on him as his acute hearing caught the frustrated scream that had penetrated the confines of his room. The slayer had actually started to feel Lucy's emotions. It seemed that the more of his magic that he would push into her, the more he himself became in tune with her pain.

Rogue knew that right now the shadows weren't acting up, so Lucy's anguish was of her own hectic emotions. The shadow mage sat up off of the bed when the smell of salt wafted through the still night air.

He moved over slowly so he didn't wake the sleeping exceed who was curled into his side. Rogue sat on the edge of his bed while he tried to stop the tidal wave of longing that crashed into him, he wanted nothing more than to throw open his door and go check on the weeping woman, something he would have never thought about three weeks ago.

Rogue gripped the side of his face before pushing his hair back onto his forehead as the pain in his chest grew with the amount of anguish that washed over him. Ever since Lucy had a horrible nightmare a few days after the first group of fairies left back on their journey home, Rogue had felt the weight of just how depressed she was.

The conflicted slayer threw his head back to look up at the ceiling when he recalled the night he was forced to realize the extent of their forced bond.

_Rogue had been sitting at their usual table with Rufus, Orga, and Sting. Lucy had fallen asleep a little earlier than usual and since she seemed to be doing a lot better, Rogue figured it would be safe for him to go eat with his guildmates._

_He left a sleeping Frosch on his bed while he sneaked out of his room in silence, using his magic to slip through the door's cracks before he made his way to stand by the blonde's door. When he was met with only her soft even breathing, he turned to make his way down to the guild hall._

_As soon as his feet hit the landing of the first floor, Rogue was bombarded with questions from various members as to where Lucy was before an arm was slung over his shoulder while he was drug further into the hall before he was pushed into an empty chair by none other than Sting._

_The ebony haired slayer had rolled his eyes while he made himself comfortable. He had been spending so much time keeping a close eye on Lucy after the hallway incident that he hadn't really seen Sting or any of his other teammates since that day, so he had known this interrogation was coming eventually._

_"Look who finally decided to come out of hiding! Every time I went to check on blondie you weren't there, and every time I went to your room you ignored me. It's about damn time you came out of your room." Rogue suppressed the urge to grit his teeth while he watched the other slayer smirk at him. Rogue had been avoiding the other blonde for this exact reason, the shadow mage did not feel like explaining anything to the arrogant bastard._

_"I see, you're just protective of your woman is all. I mean I guess it's to all be expected since you've pretty much marked her." Rogue felt a tick form on his head before he smacked the grinning blonde over the head._

_What the hell did he even mean, Rogue had never marked the blonde and he never would._

_That type of bond was reserved for a dragon slayer's life mate and Lucy was definitely not his. Sting was just trying to piss Rogue off to get back at him for all the times he had messed with him about Yukino. But to use Lucy's emotional trauma as a way of getting back at the ebony haired male was definitely a low blow by Sting._

_"Lucy is suffering from severe emotional trauma. I don't think it's right for you to turn this into something to try and embarrass me about, because it's not funny. Lucy is not my woman, she is simply a woman that was caught in the crossfire of something horrible and I am the only one that can help her. Nothing more." Rogue grabbed Sting by his shirt as he looked him straight in the eye._

_The ebony haired mage found it interesting how he could say all of that to Sting's face, yet feel like what he was saying was completely wrong. It's true that Lucy was put in a terrible situation, but was she really just some woman to him? His chest ached when he thought of the blonde up in the room so close to his own._

_The same woman that now adorn the marks of his shadow magic, the same woman that sometimes shared the same color eyes as him. No, he hadn't marked her- if anyone did it was his future counterpart and his own magic had just given it an extra push._

_Rogue watched as the blonde slayer brought his hands up in a means of surrender before Rogue released the hold on the white dragon slayer's shirt._

_"Geez, calm down, Rogue. You really are an asshole, it amazes me how you can lie so easily straight to my face." Rogue's eyes widened when he looked from Sting to Orga then to Rufus, they all had pity in their eyes when they looked back at him._

_Why were they looking at him like that? He didn't even know what Lucy was to him anymore, so how could anyone else know?_

_"You're wrong, Rogue. Not only did you yourself mark Lucy, but your future self did as well. You're a young dragon slayer, and your dragons passed on when you and Sting were very young. Tell me, what exactly do you know about Dragon mating?" Rogue sat back in his chair while he stared wide-eyed at Rufus while he gave Rogue a level gaze. It's true, Skiadrum had left him with a bunch of unanswered questions and never once did he cover anything about mating, except for telling him that he was too young to understand that type of thing. Rogue always just figured he would learn of it as he grew older, but it would seem that never actually happened. But it wasn't just him, Sting was in the same situation as well._

_"Before Levy left, I was able to pick her brain and from my memory dragon mating instinct is passed on to dragon slayer as well, it's part of the instinct you learn when you gained your slayer magic. Rogue, when your future self left magic within Lucy, her body rejected it, causing the nightmares she suffers from. His magic is different from yours, it was dark and tainted with malice intent as it tried to cover her spiritual magic and adhering to her soul, so of course, it had a negative effect on her. Something I am sure your future self knew would happen." Rufus adjusted his mask before continuing._

" _However, when you pushed your own magic into Lucy, you did it out of concern for her, you did it to save her, it was having a positive outcome. Your magic was masking the tainted magic and stopping the nightmares, in return giving her better dreams. Now those two shadow magic's are within her, fighting for dominance in her, both the marking from you and him are incomplete. Neither Levy or I know what could happen to her if it stays like this for too long." The ebony haired slayer was bewildered, he could only stare at the memory-make mage with wide eyes, completely at a loss for words. All Rogue could think was that he had no idea that was what he was doing to Lucy._

_"Both you and Future Rogue did it in such unconventional ways too. A dragons or dragon slayer's mate usually receives their magic through the act of mak-" Sting slapped a hand over the memory-make mage's mouth while Rogue put his face in his hands trying to cover his burning cheeks._

_"WE DON'T NEED TO KNOW THE DETAILS OF FUCKING!" Sting released the other male's mouth before he wiped the sweat from his head._

_If Rogue wasn't completely embarrassed before, he was now. He silently cursed Skiadrum as he rubbed his face trying to rid himself of the blush that stained his cheeks. If only the dragon would have explained things to him he wouldn't have been in this situation!_

_"A simple shut up would have sufficed. But in all seriousness, Rogue, be careful and try not to get carried away when it comes to Lucy, your emotions are going to get pretty scrambled when it comes to her. Even though you might think they won't and you can deny it all you want, you are becoming protective and possessive over her." Rufus rubbed his now red mouth from the force of Sting pressing his hand to his face. The shadow mage shook his head._

_Rufus had to be wrong, maybe Levy's information is dated or she read it wrong. Rogue frowned as he thought of the small blue haired woman- no, she probably got it right, and the reason she knows so much is because she got those books because she wanted to know more about Gajeel._

_Rogue would be naive to think that her information was anything if not on par with the information Rufus himself would give._

_"Nothing is going to change." The ebony haired male stood from the table to make his way to the bar, effectively ending the conversation._

Rogue sighed when he stood from the bed, unable to take the soft sound of her cries as they bounced off the dark walls of his room. What Rufus said was true and he knew it completely, he had been denying it for almost a full three weeks now.

His magic was raging within him while he moved to step closer to his door before cracking it open an inch. His senses were immediately assaulted by the heavy mixture of salt and Lucy's unique scent causing him to step back as he tried to control his conflicted emotions.

What the shadow mage really wanted to do was run and rip her door off the hinges and try and get her to stop crying, anything to stop the ache he felt in his chest so he could go back to sleep. He could feel his magic pulsate beneath his skin while his shadows tried to break free, causing a low growl to form low in his chest.

Rogue took a deep breath through his mouth as he tried to walk calmly down the hall to stand in front of the blonde's door. He felt the all too familiar pull as he hesitated to knock on the wood separating him from the upset woman. Deciding it was now or never, he quietly tapped the door with his knuckles. He heard a soft gasp come from the other side of the door before soft footsteps met his ears. Rogue watched as the heavy wood opened slowly to reveal the celestial mage.

The distressed slayer took in the sight of her puffy eyes and red nose before he rubbed the back of his neck. Rogue honestly had no idea what to do in this type of situation, usually, when he tried to comfort her it was because of an anxiety attack that triggered the magic inside her, but this time Lucy was in the right state of mind. She was just extremely upset.

"Oh, Rogue, Did I wake you? I'm sorry." Rogue's heart clenched when her voice came out shaken and soft while she looked at the ground between the two of them. She looked so broken and fragile that Rogue was scared if he said the wrong thing she would burst into tears and slam the door on him.

"No, I was already awake. What's wrong?" Crimson eyes observed as the blonde bit her lip before she stepped to the side while opening the door wider, a silent message for him to come in the room. Rogue stepped through the threshold, waiting for her to shut the door as he went to sit in the desk chair. They had spent more time alone over the past three weeks, helping Lucy to grow more accustomed to him. She wasn't fully comfortable, but he was closer to her now than when she first was brought to Sabertooth.

"I miss home." Rogue watched as Lucy sat on the edge of her bed before she bent to put her face in her hands to muffle her sob. The slayer stiffened when the renew smell of tears lingered around him. What could he possibly do to make her feel better?

Rogue was not good with women, he had never had to be, but now Rogue found himself wishing he knew how to comfort one. He was so wrapped up in trying to figure out something that could help that he almost missed her talking softly through her hands.

"I miss Natsu too, I want to see him but I'm so scared of what will happen." Rogue jolted when he heard her confession. Something within Rogue boiled at the thought of Lucy missing the other slayer. The thought that he was the reason that Lucy was in so much anguish did not sit well with the shadow mage, her anguish could still be felt deep within him.

Rogue felt his brows knit together as his hands clenched at his sides, why did he have to feel so damn threatened by Natsu? It was obvious to the shadow mage that Lucy and Natsu had some sort of relationship, but why did he feel so damn jealous all of a sudden?

Rogue unclenched his hands as a frown formed on his lips when the blonde tried but failed to hold in a sob. No matter how Rogue felt about the fire dragon slayer, he cared more about Lucy's feelings than his own.

"Please don't cry. I don't know how to comfort you. I know everything is weighing down on you and becoming more difficult for you every time a new group of your guildmates come here to visit, but you can't leave yet." Rogue listened to his own words as they left his mouth, for some reason he felt like the dragon in some ridiculous children's story, trying to keep the princess from leaving her tower because she wasn't safe in the outside world.

The slayer pinched the bridge of his nose not noticing how Lucy had stopped crying to look at him.

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine." Rogue watched the blonde wipe her eyes with the back of her hand before trying to give him a watery smile while she sniffled. Doesn't she know she doesn't have to be strong alone, that it was okay for her to be upset? She hides it well from everyone -everyone except for Rogue.

He could smell her tears as she cried silently in the middle of the night, he could feel her heartbreak and he knew when she had been holding everything in for too long, and he could see when she was broken.

"Stop. It's not fine, Lucy. Stop trying to bottle up your emotions because I can feel it too. I can feel your pain so I know how you really feel. I know you are hurting, even when you are down in the guild hall with Yukino, I can feel your pain. So stop lying to me." Rogue stood from the chair taking careful and slow steps over to the blonde, he couldn't take it anymore he knew he had to do something as her eyes started to well up with even more tears as he spoke to her.

She quickly stood up from the bed to close the distance between the two of them. She crashed into his body while wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning her head on his chest. Rogue let a small smile grace his lips while he brought one of his hands to rest on the top of her head. He didn't want to make any sudden movements to startle her, and he didn't want to wrap his arms around her because he didn't want her to feel caged.

"A lot of things changed in three weeks, huh?" Rogue listened as Lucy hiccupped into his chest, it was true, Lucy had started to open up to him more, and he was now the only male that could even come close to hugging her- even though he refused to hug her.

Maybe it was because the bond between them worked the same way. Rogue wasn't the only one that could feel when Lucy was upset or frustrated, but she could feel his emotions as well. It was something that they both shared, and ultimately the driving factor that had made Lucy finally accept him even just a little.

"Yes, a lot has changed." Rogue left it at that while he glanced over to the clock that was sitting on her small desk, it was already two in the morning and neither of them had gotten any sleep, though the shadow mage was used to being up during the night, he knew that Lucy wasn't.

She had started to have nightmares again, but they were not as bad as they had been, at least from what she told him.

Rogue could feel that she was keeping something from him when it came to her nightmares, and it made him a little uneasy since he knew that his future counterpart was the one that was in them, but he didn't want to push her to tell him, no matter how annoyed he was about it.

"How bad are your nightmares now?" Rogue didn't actually mean to ask her, especially since the blonde had finally starting to calm down. She shrugged tiredly while pulling away from his body making Rogue's hand drop to his side. Lucy walked over to sit on her bed once again while letting out a small shaky sigh, the aftermath of crying.

"Not as bad as they were, but they are slowly starting to get worse. I don't really want to talk about it right now, if you don't mind." Rogue watched as the celestial mage averted her gaze from him to the floor, signaling the end to that particular conversation.

Rogue noticed Lucy shift on the bed until her legs were curled underneath her while she bit her bottom lip, causing something to stir within him at the minute gesture. The ebony haired slayer would never deny the fact that Lucy was gorgeous, not one bit. In fact, it might even be obvious to a lot of people by now, especially after the commotion they had caused in the hallway when he first saw her look so animalistic with her wild eyes and his shadows radiating off of her.

He only hoped he was as good as Lucy when it came to sedating the raw desire he felt toward her appearance.

"Umm, I've been thinking .. I mean.. I.. I can't avoid Natsu forever, he's my best friend and I love him like the brother I never had.. and. . I really miss the guild.." Rogue listened while Lucy stuttered over her words as a small blush rose to her face as she poked her fingers together, trying to find her words.

"Spit it out, Lucy." The shadow dragon slayer watched the flustered woman as she looked down once again to find a way to form a proper sentence. Rogue clenched his hands as he regretted sounding so intense and indifferent.

He didn't mean to sound rude but every time the fire dragon slayer was brought up in their conversations Rogue ended up with a tightening in his chest that was more than just uncomfortable.

"Well.. I was wondering if maybe instead of people always having to come here, maybe we could go to Fairy Tail for a visit?" Rogue blanched as the blonde stammered and rambled on, he would hate to admit it, but it would probably be a lot better for Lucy to just visit Fairy Tail instead of the guild having to come see her in groups of threes.

The only thing he really had a problem with was the Natsu situation.

"How about we bring it up with Sting when he wakes up? In the meantime, you should go to sleep as well." Rogue pat the blushing woman's head before he started to walk out of the room but halted when he felt Lucy catch him by his bare wrist

"Thank you.. Again" Rogue felt Lucy drop her grip before she went to lie down on her bed, the ebony haired male could feel that she was happy that he didn't outright reject her idea, but how could he?

At this rate he was ready to do anything to keep her from crying, her pain felt like his pain, after all.

* * *

"I can't stand it anymore!" Natsu beat his head on the bar while Lisanna looked pleadingly at her sister to help in some way as she concentrated on rubbing the slayer's back to try and calm the irate male. Mira giggled before she motioned for her sister to move away from the boy before she poured a pitcher of cold water over the hot-tempered slayer's head.

"Now, now Natsu, do you really think I am just going to stand here and watch you destroy my nice clean counter?" The salmon haired male jumped when the cool water made contact with his heated skin before it evaporated into the air. He looked up to see the oldest Strauss sibling smiling with a creepy aura surrounding her, making him jump from the stool to move away from the angered barmaid.

"Why can't I go see Luce? Why is it only girls that are allowed to see her? Do I have to put on that weird face cream and put on a damn skirt to see her? Because I will!" Natsu yelled to no one in particular before he was met with a fist to the back of his head.

"Oi, flame brain, you aren't the only one that is upset they can't go see Lucy, so shut the hell up before I make you." The ice-make mage sat at the bar, being careful to avoid slipping on the now wet floor. He was just as upset that he wasn't able to go see the blonde fairy, but he refused to act like a child because of it. Lucy must have had her reasons as to why.

"Cheer up you two, Lucy is doing great and is in good hands." A metal-clad hand landed on both the men's shoulders, causing them to jolt from the force of the hit.

"That's easy for you to say, Erza! You got to go see her!" Natsu shook his fist at the red-haired woman while she too sat at the bar before ordering a piece of strawberry cake from Mira. She turned to give the pinkette a hard glare to shut him up before turning to talk to Lisanna.

"Lisanna, aren't you in the next group to go visit Lucy?" Lisanna blushed before she shook her head confirming the armored fairies question. Lisanna did want to go see the blonde, but she didn't want to leave the steaming slayer behind, he was already upset that he wasn't allowed to go to Sabertooth, but if she went, he might try to follow even though he wasn't allowed.

"I can't believe you are going to leave me behind too, Lis!" Lisanna's blush deepened when Natsu slug his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to his bare chest. Gray grunted while he watched the younger take over mage struggle to remove Natsu's arm from her before he smacked the slayer once again in the back of his head.

"Ow, what the hell was that for?" Natsu let go of snowy-haired female, allowing her to scurry back around the counter into the safe zone.

"You were suffocating her, so I thought I would help. Idiot." Gray picked up his drink that the white-haired bar maiden had set down in front of him before taking a sip, only to have it knocked out of his hand when Natsu sent a ball of flames right into his face.

"Oh yeah, you wanna go, ice princess?" The dragon slayer jumped to stand on the counter but before he could even get a leg up, Erza stuck her hand out to grab the back of his jacket before sending him slamming into the ground. Gray sweat dropped as he picked up the broken cup and handed the pieces over to Mira.

"No fighting, I'm eating cake." Both Natsu and Gray looked at each other before shrugging. The red-haired requip mage seemed a bit distracted the past few weeks, and they couldn't really figure out why. They started to notice that she seemed unfocused as soon as she came back from visiting Lucy and could only assume that was what had contributed to her distracted unfocused eyes.

"Alright, brats! I just received some great news!" Every guild member stopped what they were doing to look up at the balcony where the small guild master was sitting on the railing while smirking down at the rest of the guild. The guildmates waited patiently, waiting for the master to say something.

"We will no longer be going to Sabertooth to visit Lucy, instead, she will be coming to visit us for a little while!" The guild erupted in cheers as everyone went wild over the good news. All exact for one small bluenette who was sitting in the corner with the iron dragon slayer, Gajeel.

* * *

Levy looked up from the book she had been so immersed in when she heard the master announce that her best friend would be coming to the guild for a visit. She placed the bookmark in between the pages to save her spot before putting the book down and taking off her glasses.

Levy's mind was tossing around the idea of the blonde coming home to Magnolia and couldn't help the worried crease that formed on her forehead.

Did Lucy really believe that she was ready to face the chaos that was guaranteed to happen?

Most of the guild members who had gone to see Lucy over the course of three weeks had kept quiet about Lucy's changes, not wanting the unpredictable pinkette to go on a rampage. It seemed the more people spoke of Lucy, the more he was agitated, so no one ever really brought her up when he was around anymore.

Levy stood from the tablet, tossing a glance over to Pantherlily who had been sitting at the table with the other exceeds before she averted her gaze to the man that was sitting in the chair closer to the corner.

Instead of over-thinking what could happen, the petite solid script mage decided she would go see the master to find out if he had a plan of action, surely he would have something in mind to keep the fire dragon slayer from destroying the guild and starting a fight.

Levy's chair sliding against the floor had attracted the attention of the iron dragon slayer that was leaning back in the chair with his eyes closed.

"Where are you going, shrimp?" Gajeel cracked one of his eyes open while he watched the small woman gather her books up into a neat stack before leaving them on the table. She started to walk away before looking back while rolling her eyes at the possessive male when he growled a little when she didn't answer him immediately.

"I'm going to talk to master real quick. Just shut up and sleep or something." Levy listened to the slayer grumble something about her being too bossy as she giggled while walking to the staircase. She had been reading all types of books she had found on dragon and dragon slayers since the revelation of what was happening to Lucy had come into light. If she and Rufus hadn't have ended up talking to one another before she left, they wouldn't have come up with the conclusion that they had.

Levy sprinted her way up the steps only stopping when she finally reached the top, making sure to grab the master's attention as he drank while sitting on top of the railing. The small master nodded before jumping back to the floor and motioned for her to follow him into his office where she sat in the empty chair, and he sat on his desk.

"I received a call from Sting to let me know that Lucy has been depressed and requested to visit Fairy Tail for a while. We both agreed seeing as we can't keep Natsu from Lucy forever. My only real concern is Rogue will be accompanying her, meaning we will probably have some tension between both of the slayers. I'm already trying to figure out how to repair the guild if things get too out of control." Levy watched as a stream of tears fell from the old titan's eyes while he imaged the damage that might be caused to the guild if two dragon slayers decide to fight.

Levy shook her head, understanding that the guild was in for one hell of a greeting once Lucy returns.

"Lucy is marked by Rogue, Natsu considers Lucy part of his family, and Lucy is most likely going to end up pushing Natsu away from her because of her apprehension with males, making the situation seem even worse. Natsu will see it as she's rejecting him in favor of Rogue. Dragon slayers are so damn difficult" Levy pinched the bridge of her nose while she tried to think out all the possible scenarios. None of which were better than the last. Unless….

Levy's eyes widened as a thought crossed her mind. What if they told Natsu what happened to Lucy before she arrived, and prepared him for what to expect? He would probably still break things, but at least he would know that she is not rejecting him, in turn making the situation a little better.

Levy sighed as she rubbed the back of her neck, she didn't know about that idea. Lucy should be the one to tell the salmon haired slayer what happened if she wanted him to know. Plus Levy already told master, she couldn't hurt her best friend like that. But… What if the master told him? Levy turned to the master who was deep in thought as well.

"Master, what if you told Natsu about Lucy before she got here?" Levy through it out there, making the master look up into her hopeful brown eyes.

"I would my child, but it's not my place to tell Natsu, that is Lucy's decision.." Levy sighed once again before putting her hands back in her lap. She hadn't expected Master's words to make her feel so bad about telling him about Lucy in the first place, but she knew it had to be done. The petite mage let out a huff; It would seem they were just going to have to let fate handle this one. Neither the master, nor Levy wanted to be the ones that told Natsu what happened to Lucy when she was attacked.

"Did they say when they would be here?" Levy locked eyes with the master before he nodded his head.

"They will arrive in Magnolia in two days, when she decides to come to the guild will be up to her though." Levy nodded her head. If she couldn't tell Natsu what happened to Lucy, she could at least try and prepare him by telling him what he shouldn't do when he sees her. With Levy's mind made up she excused herself from the master's office and made her way back down to the guild.

"Find out what you needed to know, shrimp?" His voice startled her as she reached the first floor of the guild, Gajeel had been standing there leaning against the wall, no doubt waiting for her to come back.

"Yes, now to deal with another problem." Levy left the conversation at that as she walked away, leaving the tall black haired man to watch as she made her way to the bar. Levy listened as both Natsu and Gray bickered to one another and when she got closer she could hear Lisanna trying to mediate between the two boys.

"Natsu, could you come with me for a minute." Levy watched as said salmon haired mage turned to look at her before grinning and jumping down from his seat without a word. It wasn't until she had led him outside of the guild that Natsu decided to ask what she needed.

"I have something important to tell you about Lucy, and I need you to listen carefully and take everything I say to heart, if you don't, we are going to have some problems when she comes back." Levy watched at the dragon slayers eyes brows knit together as a frown formed on his face while listening to her talk.

"Okay…" Levy sighed while she took that as her cue to begin, however, she was having a hard time putting words together, just exactly how should she start this conversation?

"Lucy is different now than when she left almost a month ago. She acts different, looks different and… smells different. Hey, are you listening to me!?" The petite woman felt a tick form on her head as Natsu stuck one of his fingers in his ear and looked the other way while she spoke. She grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him down to her level.

"Listen to me, you idiot! What I am saying is important! Do not under any circumstances get too close to Lucy unless she says you can, and do not touch her. I am warning you now. No matter what you feel when you see her again, do not try and touch her." Levy was shaking Natsu by his jacket as he cringed from her yelling in his ear. He removed her hands from his jacket and then held his ears while rubbing them.

"Alright, alright! I was listening! Don't mess with Lucy, I get it, I get it!" Levy smacked the boy over the head as she groaned in frustration, why was Natsu so impossible! His child-like attitude had Levy wondering just how they had even managed to keep him in Magnolia in the first place, because it was completely beyond her! This boy just doesn't listen and just does what he wants!

"Sweet Mavis, Natsu, Listen to me! I said don't touch her!" Levy smacked the boy again, earning a warning growl from the pink haired male while he moved away, trying to spare himself from more of her unwelcomed abuse.

"Okay, okay! Don't touch her, I get it, I get it! Sheesh, go hit Gajeel or something!" Levy grit her teeth as she watched Natsu shrink back away from her before he bolted for the door with a goofy smile. The blue haired mage shook her head while she let out a frustrated sigh, something told her that she didn't get through to him at all.

Levy felt a small smile form on her lips as she looked up to the sky while putting her hands on her hips, it was a beautiful day and the fact that her best friend was finally coming home made her slightly giddy inside despite the inevitable trouble they will have to face.

Levy tilted her head back down to look at the entrance of Fairy Tail, in two days the guild was going to be turned upside down when their celestial mage returned home with another dragon slayer in tow.


	15. Chapter 15

**WARNING:  Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**This chapter is Beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should go check them out!**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

* * *

Lucy tugged the brush through her long golden hair, cringing every time a knot was forcefully ripped out. Usually, the celestial maiden would just call Cancer out to help her with her hair when it was a complete mess, but she was still fearful of the opposite gender- even if they were her trusted spirits. Though she was slowly getting better at handling males, it was still evident she still had a long way to go.

Lucy frowned while she put the hairbrush back down on the small bathroom counter. It was no use, no matter how much time and effort she put into fixing her hair, it would not come out the way she wanted. The blonde pushed her arms over her head as she tried to stretch the strained tired muscles.

Though Rufus had reset the bone and placed her shoulder back in the socket and Wendy had healed the remaining damage, the blonde still felt a force pulling sensation when she would strain her arm for too long. The celestial wizard had at first thought that maybe Wendy hadn't completely healed her shoulder, but she soon realized it was just a lingering effect of having the muscles repeatedly torn while she was being thrashed about.

After all, there was only so much the little slayer could do, and since healing had already started before the sky dragon slayer arrived, the damage was permanent just like the scars that still littered her body along with the phantom of memories that were attached to them.

Lucy placed her arms back down to her side while letting out a small huff. The tiny counter had been taken over by the various jars and tubes of makeup that sat before her. Though Lucy had plenty of it, she never really wore much makeup, but she had asked Virgo earlier that morning if she could bring a few specific cosmetics from her apartment.

She had already applied a small amount of make up to her face and was going to try and cover some of the visible scars that were left exposed by her outfit. The pale blue skirt that slipped down to graze the middle of her thighs along with the thin strapped white tank top was doing nothing to hide the tiny whitish pink lines that decorated her skin.

The longer Lucy stared at herself in the mirror the more she realized that her efforts would be completely useless in the long run. She knew no matter how much makeup she used to cover her physical features, the scars would still be there to haunt her, regardless of how well they may be covered.

Lucy's eyes drifted from her face down to her arms. Though she had asked her pink haired spirit to bring her emergency heavy duty concealer, the blonde knew she wouldn't be able to cover the black markings that now swirled around her lower arms. The ebony markings had all but engulfed her lower arms in swirls of foreign magic, one that has become more familiar to her with every passing day.

Lucy gave a defeated sigh before she turned away from the mirror. Even if by some miracle she was able to succeed in covering all the markings, it would do nothing to hide the fact that the dragon slayers of Fairy Tail would still be able to sense a difference in her; Lucy shuddered at the thought of all the dragon slayers being able to smell her. She wasn't sure exactly what their keen sense of smell could pick up, but she knew she was not in a hurry to find out.

Lucy gave the various makeup products one last look before tossing them and her hairbrush back into her suitcase, finally deciding there was no point in trying to hide something that couldn't be hidden.

Lucy took out her keys, feeling a soothing calm come over her when she felt the smooth precious metals rest in between her fingers. Once she found the key she was looking for, she quickly swiped it through the air while quietly summoning the pink haired maid.

Lucy watched as the familiar burst of golden light appeared before the spirit stepped through her gate.

"Punishment, Princess?" Lucy shook her head fondly at the stoic maid. Why Virgo always asked for punishment would anyways be an enigma to Lucy, surely the spirit should know by now that the blonde would refuse.

"No Virgo, I have a favor to ask again. Could you please take these suitcases back to my apartment? One is Rogue's and the other is mine. Oh, and by the way, how's everyone doing in the spirit world?" Lucy watched the maid nod before picking up the suitcases before turning toward her.

"Everyone is fine, Princess. We are just patiently waiting for you to call us whenever you need. Cancer asked me to tell you he would love to fix your hair for you when you are ready to let him. I will take these to your apartment and return to the spirit world after I am done. Be safe on your travel, Princess." Lucy watched as the spirit opened her gate before disappearing into the golden light once more.

The blonde looked down at her keys while a sad sigh slipped past her lips. The past month she had been neglecting to call out her spirits, even Plue. Of course, she wanted to feel comfortable enough to call her spirits out once again, but it was still difficult for her. It had become an instinctive reaction for her to flinch when someone steps a little too close to her now, and most of the time, she didn't even realize she was doing it. It had just become a part of who she was now.

Lucy silently put her keys away before shaking her head a little, trying to rid herself of the tears that were threatening to fall. For the first time in a while, Lucy had decided to put on just a small amount of makeup and she didn't want her efforts to be ruined so quickly.

A part of her was wondering if she was truly ready to go back to Fairy Tail and face all her guildmates. She knew that she was still aching to see them, but was it really the right choice for her?

Lucy bit her lip while she pushed her arms out in front of her to stare at the black markings once again. Maybe she should wear a long sleeve shirt instead? Lucy was brought out of her thoughts as a soft knock sounded throughout the room before the click of the door handle being turned was heard. Lucy watched as familiar silver hair came into view while the door opened wider to reveal a smiling Yukino.

"Are you all set to go, Lucy?" Lucy bit her lip once again, she knew she wasn't going to be staying at Fairy Tail for too long, well unless Rogue somehow figured out the cure to her nightmares and could remove the magic from her without hurting or killing her that was.

The blonde felt a prick in her heart at the thought of being away from the other celestial mage. Lucy had made a faithful friend in the other woman and she was going to miss her while she was visiting Fairy Tail. Yukino had become her anchor and her support when Lucy needed someone, essentially Yukino was the person that had kept Lucy grounded when she felt she was starting to float away from reality.

"I'm not so sure anymore. Do you think I should wear a long sleeve shirt instead?" Lucy admitted to the Saber. Lucy watched as Yukino gave her a small sympathetic smile before putting her hands on the blonde's shoulders.

"Breath Lucy, everything will be fine. You should go to your apartment and relax before going to the guild anyway. Are you sure I don't need to come with you?" Lucy watched as the silver-haired woman adopted a concerned expression. A huge part of her wanted to scream yes, that she needed her to come with both Rogue and her.

The thought of being alone with the ebony haired slayer had Lucy a little anxious as well. Of course, she had grown accustomed to being around the slayer, but that didn't make it any less embarrassing that she was going to be sharing her apartment with him. Of course, they wouldn't really be alone since Frosch was coming as well, but it was still nerve-racking.

Lucy looked into Yukino's soft brown eyes. No matter how much she wanted Yukino to come with them, she couldn't keep the silverette from her life, this was something that Lucy needed to do without Yukino's assistance.

Besides, the blonde going to Fairy Tail would also give Yukino a chance to relax as well; the Saber celestial mage had always made it a point to be by Lucy's side, so there was no doubt in the blonde's mind that Yukino needed a break away from her. Plus, Lucy was almost certain that a certain blonde haired guild master was missing having Yukino's company as well.

"I guess you are right. No, I want you to stay here and rest and enjoy some time with Master Sting while we are gone, plus I'll have Levy and I'm sure I can count on Rogue too!" Lucy smirked when a pink blush rose to Yukino's cheeks before she shook her head back and forth while waving her hands out in front of her. Lucy held in her laugh while the silver-haired mage attempted to stammer out incoherent words that fell on deaf ears.

"I-It's not like that Lucy!" Lucy giggled as the other celestial mage backed away only to collide with a muscular chest. Lucy was sure she was going to fall over from laughing when Yukino turned to face none other than the dragon slayer in question. Lucy observed as the slayer's smirk grew when he caught sight of the silver-haired celestial mage's blush.

"St-Sting! W-what are you doing here!?" Yukino's blush spread from her cheeks to her neck and ears as she tried to conceal her embarrassment. Lucy watched as Sting sent a quick wink to her before leading the dazed silverette out of the room.

Lucy giggled as her eyes followed the two only to have her vision blocked by yet another Saber who made their way into her room. Lucy let her eyes fall on the confused face of Rogue while he glanced back down the hallway to watch the other two disappear around the corner.

"Yukino seems to be embarrassed about something and Sting looks even more annoying and cheerful than usual. What did I miss?" Lucy stepped back from the doorway a bit to let the shadow dragon slayer enter the room while giving him a small smile.

It was only after the slayer had started to lean on the wall that Lucy noticed an excited Frosch sitting on the shadow dragon slayer's shoulder. The blonde automatically grabbed the small feline from his place and hugged him to her chest, leaving a worried Rogue to watch while his exceed was helplessly crushed into her well-developed breasts.

Lucy didn't even notice the way the ebony haired slayer gulped when he looked away quickly all the while trying to hide the obvious blush that had started to take over his face.

"Oh, nothing really, I just may have suggested that Yukino enjoy some alone time with her Master Sting while we are away." Lucy watched as Rogue just shook his head with a ghost of a smirk playing across his lips. Over the past few weeks, Lucy had come to realize just how much the slayer liked to tease Yukino about her obvious crush on the blonde Sabertooth master.

Lucy's heart thumped at a sporadic rhythm while she watched the tilt of his lips curve into a more noticeable smile.

"Are you ready to go?" Lucy jolted as she averted her gaze while she tried to discreetly cover the blush that had inevitably risen to her face while watching him smile. If Rogue had caught her staring at him, he didn't show any indication as his crimson eyes watched her closely before she nodded her head in a silent confirmation.

Because the blonde woman could slightly sense Rogue's emotions, she sometimes ended up bewildered at just how well the slayer could mask his expressions from people. Lucy often found herself wondering how the slayer learned to close himself off from the world like that while trying to keep his emotions bottled up for only himself. The more time Lucy spent with him, the more she came to realize just how much of complete opposites they were from one another.

"Fro can't wait to go on an adventure with Rogue and Miss Fairy!" Lucy hugged the little cat closer to her chest as she giggled before stepping over to take a look around the room, making sure she wasn't forgetting anything important. Once she was sure that everything was accounted for, Lucy turned back to Rogue who had decided it was better for him to wait in the hallway.

"Okay, all set to go!" Lucy stepped into the hall and closed the door behind her, saying a temporary goodbye to the room that had been her second home for close to a month.

* * *

Lucy bunched the front of her skirt into her hands while she watched the familiar path to Magnolia come into view. Rogue had put her down not long ago to walk the rest of the way while he tried to regain some of his lost energy from enveloping all of them into the shadows for a good portion of the travel. Lucy honestly hadn't realized just how much ground they had covered while using Rogue's magic, but she was a little disappointed that they were already close to Magnolia.

Lucy could feel her anxiety grip her with every passing step they took as the buildings within Magnolia grew bigger and clearer the closer they got within the city limits. She couldn't help but fidget with her clothes and hair while biting her full pink lips in worry. Rogue must have noticed her nervousness because he tossed her a knowing glance while whispering to Frosch who was curled up on top of the small pack that the slayer carried on his back.

Lucy was almost knocked off her feet when the green exceed collided with her head before crawling around on her shoulder to nuzzle the side of her neck. Lucy smiled as she plucked the small cat from her shoulder to hug him to her chest.

"Rogue said that Miss Fairy is feeling sad and that Fro might be able to help make you happy again! Did I do a good job?" Lucy practically gushed as the little cat hugged her back with the best his little paws were able to.

"Yes Fro, you did a fantastic job, thank you!" Lucy caught a glimpse of the slayer walking next to her as he smirked before turning his head to the side to avoid her curious gaze. The blonde looked back to the path in front of her feeling the tight vice of anxiety loosen while she held the exceed close to her.

Even though it had been a few weeks now, Lucy still found herself amazed at how the ebony haired slayer knew her so well. She knew that he could sense her emotions in the same way she could, but she was nowhere near as in tuned as he was.

Lucy felt an uneasiness form in the back of her mind at that thought, it just didn't seem fair to her that Rogue was able to help her and gauge her emotions so well, while she still wasn't able to do the same. As if she said something, Rogue turned back to look at her, giving her a slight lift of his brow in question.

Of course, he would be able to tell she was frustrated. When it came to her emotions, he seemingly was an expert.

"Stop that, I'm fine. It's nothing." Lucy watched as Rogue gave a slight shrug of his shoulders before turning once again. Lucy felt her frustration fade as she watched the road slowly turn from dirt to the familiar cobblestone that paved the roads of Magnolia. People were buzzing lively in the streets when they finally crossed the threshold into the city.

The blonde quickened her pace as she made her way through the winding streets, trying her best to stay hidden in case any members of Fairy Tail were lurking within the city.

Once her eyes finally found the sign that signified they had finally arrived on Strawberry Street, Lucy couldn't contain her excitement as she skipped along the canal down the familiar street only stopping to toss a glance over her shoulder to make sure the slayer was still following behind her.

The blonde observed as Rogue rolled his eyes at her before she gave him a smile while turning back to the street in front of her. How he hasn't grown tired of her childlike displays of happiness was beyond her.

"We're here!" Lucy stopped when she came to stand in front of the tall faded red two-story building. Though she had only been away from her home for close to a month, she felt like it had been years since she last stood in front of the tall establishment. Lucy let out a content sigh as she reached for the door handle, she had been so worried over seeing all her guildmates again that she had let that fear overshadow her desires to come back to her own home.

Lucy flung the door open and tried to the best of her capability to take two steps at a time as she went up the staircase leading to the second floor. Rogue followed the excited blonde at a much slower pace, making sure to leave enough space that he wasn't hovering over her, but still close enough that if she slipped and fell in her haste to make it to her apartment, that he would be able to stop her from tumbling all the way down the steps.

Once Lucy made it to the door to her apartment she stopped and hesitated before opening the door. Her hand reached for the knob but the closer her hand got to the cool metal, the more she wanted to draw her hand back.

She tossed a nervous glance back to the slayer standing a few steps away from her. It's not that she didn't want to go inside, but she found herself remembering just how messy she had left the apartment before going on her missions.

Lucy felt embarrassment rise to her face as she thought of Rogue walking in and getting the wrong impression at what type of person she was. Surely, he wouldn't judge her by how she left her apartment. After all, she had been in a much darker place at that moment in time.

Lucy let her fingers brush over the cool metal of the handle, taking a deep breath in before she finally turned it until she heard a click. She couldn't just stand in front of the door all day, the more she hesitated, the more amused Rogue became as he inched ever so closer to her. Lucy hadn't a doubt in her mind he could feel just how embarrassed she was, so she tried to calm herself before she swung the door wide open.

She was a little caught off guard at the fact that the door had been unlocked, she could have sworn she remembered locking it all those weeks ago.

The blonde waited for the smell of old rotting food from weeks of sitting on the counter to assault her nose, but the horrid smell never came; instead, a light floral fragrance greeted her when she walked into the entryway of her apartment. Curiosity got the best of her as she walked into her spacious home. She had been expecting to see a disgusting mess but instead, she was met with a spotless room; now she knew why the door had been unlocked.

Lucy let her eyes roam around the open room, taking in every piece of polished furniture, to the empty sink of the kitchen. She felt a sea of gratitude wash over her while she walked further in the apartment to see various vases of fresh flowers, some adoring small signs saying welcome home while others were arranged with the most vibrant of flowers she had ever seen. Her eyes flashed from the counters and her desk to her bed where a pile of neatly stacked envelopes sat on the made-up bedspread.

Lucy felt hot tears well up in her eyes as she walked to sit on the before picking up the stack. She plucked the small sticky note off the top and tried to read it the best of her ability while the tears blurred her vision.

_"Welcome home, Lucy. We will all be waiting for you at the guild hall, where we will celebrate with a proper Fairy Tail party."_

The note was written in the delicate script that could only belong to Levy. Lucy quickly sifted through the pile of envelopes noting they were each from various guild members to welcome her back. Lucy put Frosch, who had fallen asleep, on her bed before she wiped at her eyes. It was only then that she realized the shadow dragon slayer was nowhere to be found.

The blonde stood from the bed and looked around her apartment, she was about to give up until she noticed the front door was still wide open.

"Can I come in now? I figured you might want some privacy." Lucy shrieked when she noticed the ebony haired slayer leaning against the adjacent wall away from the door. Lucy put her hand to her chest as she tried to stop the rapid thumping of her heart.

"Sweet, Mavis! Rogue, why did you have to scare me like that? Yes! Of course, you can come in, or do you plan on sleeping on the stairs." Lucy didn't even try to hide the blush that crept its way over her cheeks as she bluntly reminded herself that she and Rogue will be staying together in her apartment.

Sure, she had had Natsu over almost all the time, and even Gray occasionally, but she always kicked them out when she was ready to go to bed. This would be her first time having a male stay over. The thought had Lucy's head spinning while the dragon slayer walked past her after shutting the door. She tried to ignore him as he kicked off his boots and made his way further into the apartment but seeing the ebony haired male sit down in her desk chair, she almost lost it.

"No, no, no! Stay away from the desk! Go sit on the couch, or the kitchen table, but do not go near the desk!" Lucy found herself walking over and swatting at him as he looked at her like she was insane, but he stood up and moved over to the small loveseat that could clearly only fit two people comfortably.

"Okay. So, the desk is off-limits. Is there anything else I should know about? I don't want to get one of those horrid kicks from you, so please enlighten me now." The blonde blushed even harder when he mentioned her famous  _Lucy-kicks_. Obviously, he was closer to her than she originally thought if he received those every so often.

Lucy didn't even want to remember the time he had barged into her shower when he claimed that he had thought he felt a rise in his magic from her. Lucy turned her head away as the embarrassment washed over her.

"Just the desk, my closet, and drawers. Stay out of all of that, and we should be okay." Lucy chanced a glance at the slayer watching as he gave a stiff nod. Lucy almost found it comical watching him survey his surroundings, he did look entirely out of place on the pale pink couch surrounded by beautifully arranged flowers.

"Okay, so what do you usually do during the day to keep busy then?" Lucy watched as Rogue's eyes still searched around the apartment, all his scrutiny made her say a silent prayer in thanks for Levy, she knew that she had been the mastermind behind cleaning her apartment, and she couldn't thank the girl enough for saving her from dying of embarrassment.

"I would either go to the guild, but I'm not really ready for that, or I would go shopping. Which that kind of reminds me." Lucy stepped away from the desk she had been protectively hovering over to walk into the kitchenette. She opened the cabinets and pantry and last the fridge.

Just as she thought, there wasn't a trace of food left in her apartment. Levy must have thrown out everything that had expired over the past month, leaving her kitchen empty. Either that or Natsu and Happy had snuck in and ate it all.

"We are completely dry on food." Lucy turned back to look at the slayer. She could tell he was still tired from using up a lot of his magic to get all of them to Magnolia in record time, so she didn't believe he was ready to go on a shopping spree around Magnolia's market with her. But she needed to get food since not only she was back, but she had a dragon slayer as one of her guests.

Lucy had personally witnessed Rogue eating while down in Sabertooth's Guildhall, and while he had been much more well-mannered than Sting, the shadow dragon slayer could still rival any other dragon slayer when it came to eating. Lucy sighed when she thought of the amount of jewel she would have to spend to feed the both of them plus buying fish for Frosch as well.

"I would say go on without me, but I don't feel right letting you leave alone." Lucy felt her heart swell when she watched Rogue stand from the couch, it was a small gesture that possibly didn't have any meaning behind it except for the fact that Rogue knew the blonde had anxiety about going into crowded places alone.

But even though that was a fact that everyone at Sabertooth had come to acknowledge, Lucy still felt grateful that Rogue never seemed to think of her as a complete burden to him.

Never once had she felt any anger, frustration, or animosity directed to her from the bond that they had shared, and something about that made Lucy realized just how much Rogue had come to accept her as a part of his everyday life.

"No Rogue, I am sure you are tired, and if you'd just let me use your communication Lacrima, I could contact Levy and she could meet me, or I could just call out Loke—" Lucy was cut off as Rogue sent her a glare that was obviously meant to silence her.

"You honestly think I am going to let you run off into a town that I am not familiar with, so I could sit here and worry about something happening to you? Have you lost your mind? Do you have a fever?" Lucy took a step back when Rogue extended his hand to press the palm against her forehead.

Lucy squeaked as she shied away from his touch only to have him move closer. The celestial mage turned, not noticing the way Rogue stiffened as she tried to keep a renewed blush from appearing on her face.

Lucy had been trying her hardest to keep a safe distance from the slayer for a week now, and it was proving to be a futile effort. Every time she would move away from him, he would subconsciously move closer. The worst part was when Rogue would touch her, even though Lucy knew he meant well and they were all nothing more than innocent brushes here and there, along with the occasional times he would have to carry her, Lucy would have to try and restrain the agonizing pull on the shadow magic within her.

Rogue was the magnet that attracted the shadows to surface causing it to sizzle under her skin wherever he touched; the contact would cause a slow-burning chaos to stir within her the closer he came to her.

"I'm fine! You know what? Maybe it would be best to wait until later then." Lucy moved to go into her small bathroom before closing the door behind her. Lucy leaned her body against the now closed door while trying to stop the speeding thumps against her ribcage. She could feel the tingling of magic beneath her skin, and she knew even though she had put a barrier between the two of them, there was no way Lucy could hide the steady beating of her heart and the overflow of magic spilling from within her from the confused slayer just outside the bathroom door.

"Calm down… calm down." Lucy turned on the water to drown out her whispers while she looked at the reflection before her. She should have jumped away from the crimson eyes that stared at her from the mirror, but she had become all too familiar with the blood-colored gaze.

The blonde steadied herself against the counter while she leaned in to stare at the scarlet irises. Though it was still surprising to her, this was not the first time she had seen the changing of her eye color. The more the magic pressure built up inside of her, the more frequently they changed.

Lucy pushed a palm to her forehead as she closed her eyes while taking a deep breath; she had learned to control the shadow magic just a little, but only during the day when she was able to keep a check on it. She had no control over it at night when she was caught in the midst of a nightmare.

Lucy sighed when she felt the magic recede once more, back into the dark depths of her body. It was positively remarkable the effects Rogue had over her, he could send the magic into overdrive almost to the point of complete agony as she tried to keep it within, or he could have the completely opposite effect, calming it while she was trapped deep within her subconscious.

Lucy had come to rely on the ebony haired slayer more than she ever thought possible, and that had brought her even closer to him. She knew that she didn't want to shy away from him anymore, in fact, she sometimes found herself wanting to give in to the pull when he would brush up against her.

Whether it was the bond or just a moment of weakness to rid herself of the pent-up shadows, she couldn't say.

"Please, just goaway." Lucy whispered to her reflection before she fell back against the bathroom wall, she let her body slide down till her bottom was flush against the cold tile before she leaned her head on her knees in an attempt to calm herself completely.

* * *

As soon as Lucy had opened the door to her apartment, Rogue's senses were so overwhelmed by fragrances that he was forced to lean against the wall while Lucy continued into her home. The smell of flowers, cleaning products and the undeniable scent that was Lucy filled his nostrils while he remembered the intoxicating scent.

The aroma of her sweet scent was exactly how he remembered it from the Grand Magic Games. Rogue frowned when he realized her natural aroma had been muted by others, mainly including his own while she had stayed at Sabertooth. Now Lucy didn't have the same scent as her home, instead, she was a mix of both her own, and his.

It was an odd realization at first but was something that only seemed natural considering what Rufus had told him.

After Lucy had noticed he was gone, she had found him against the wall, he would have liked to use the excuse that he was waiting for her permission, instead of trying to overcome his flustered body that had not been ready for the assault on his heightened senses.

Now Rogue couldn't help a small smirk from forming while his eyes followed the flustered blonde as her figure disappeared behind the bathroom door. Rogue rubbed the back of his neck as he felt a disturbance of magic from behind the closed door. He sighed as he walked throughout the apartment, taking in small details here and there.

Of course, Rogue wasn't an idiot, but sometimes he just forgot that Lucy was not as good as him when it came to controlling his emotions or magic. It had become easy, almost natural, for him to control his magic when around her now, but he could still feel that she was having difficulty when it came to the multitude of magic within her.

She would often get flustered when he would touch her, something that used to cause her anxiety, but now was just causing her frustrations. He found himself wondering if he was just imagining sexual tension from the blonde, or if he was mistaking it for a different emotion completely.

Rogue wouldn't lie, sometimes he found reasons to touch Lucy casually just because he liked the way her soft skin felt beneath his fingers, and the way her face would blush at even the slightest touch. His shadows would hum in delight while the soft caresses made his magic seek out the blonde's, something that Rogue was still trying to get used to himself, but he couldn't deny that he liked the way it felt when the magic deep within her reacted to him as well.

Rogue flipped over a few of the envelopes that had been lying on the pink bedspread. He let his eyes roam over the written letters as he thought to himself. He still hadn't figured out a way to successfully remove the magic, but he often found himself wondering what it would be like if Lucy learned to embrace it and control it.

It was true that he himself could not control the darker shadows that his future counterpart had placed within her, but that didn't mean that Lucy couldn't grow to be able to.

Rogue sighed as he scanned the room once more, taking in the number of flowers that had been arranged as a welcome home gift. He found himself vaguely wondering whose idea it had been, possibly Levy or even Wendy who had been the mastermind behind the gifts.

He found his eyes darting over to the desk that Lucy had forbidden him from, mild curiosity tempted him to move a little closer to the wooden piece of furniture. What was so important about it that she had to smack him? He could understand her limits with her closet, and dresser, but a desk?

Rogue inched closer while trying to lean to the best of his ability with his feet still planted on the floor to look at the contents piled on the desk's surface. From the angle Rogue was looking everything looked to be normal, the usual office supplies were where it should be along with piles of paper stacked neatly in the center. After a few moments of trying to make out a few words on the top piece of paper, Rogue finally decided to give up as he heard the click of the bathroom door being open.

"Sorry about that. So, we can either go shopping or go out to eat. Which would you prefer?" Rogue watched Lucy step out of the bathroom while he tried to act like he hadn't been inspecting her desk. If they went shopping, there was a good chance she could run into someone from her guild, which wouldn't be a horrible thing, unless it was one of the Fairy's dragon slayers.

But on the other hand, even if they went out to eat, they would still be taking a pretty big risk. Rogue sighed while he pinched the bridge of his nose, both options are proving to be a pain.

"Are you sure you are ready to face the consequences of meeting in public with someone you aren't ready to see?" Rogue didn't mean for it to come out so blunt, but he had never been good with sugar coating things, and it was something Lucy needed to consider before stepping foot outside the apartment.

"Well I… I planned on us going to the guild tomorrow and I hadn't put into consideration the state my apartment was going to be in, so I was going to spend the afternoon cleaning, but it seems that someone did that already. I just didn't think about the whole food situation." Lucy rubbed the back of her head as Rogue gaped at her. He shook his head while heaving a sigh.

"Okay, I guess we are going shopping then. Let me wake up Frosch and we can go." Rogue watched as Lucy smiled and pulled out her keys before she opened the gate of her little spirit name Plue.

"We shouldn't wake him, he's had a long day too. Plue, will you stay here with Frosch and play with him if he wakes up?" Rogue observed as the little shaking spirit nodded while talking in his own little language. Rogue looked back to the bed where his cat was sleeping peacefully. Traveling was always tiring for Frosch, so maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to let him sleep some more.

They wouldn't be gone that long anyway. Nodding his head, the slayer followed the blonde out of her apartment.

As promised, the shopping trip didn't take long, and luckily Lucy didn't run into anyone, except for a drunken Cana who Lucy swore would probably forget even seeing her once the brunette's hangover set in upon waking up in the morning.

Rogue could only agree considering how heavily the brunette smelled of alcohol. Besides the one drunken interruption in their shopping, Rogue and Lucy were able to get everything they needed in record time.

Rogue watched as Lucy walked in front of him on the way back to her apartment, practically skipping while she swung the two grocery bags that were hanging from her wrist. Rogue sighed as he carried the other seven grocery bags filled with various items. The street was now vacant except for the two of them as the sun started to slowly work its way back down from the sky.

Tomorrow they would be going to the Fairy Tail guild, and while Rogue could see that Lucy was happy to be home, he could also feel that she was trying to hide the anxiety that was bubbling up ever so slowly the more time passed.

When they finally arrive at the faded red building, Lucy made sure to hold the door open for him as he walked through and up the stairs only to stop once he was at the door, he let Lucy pass, so she could unlock the door and let him inside. Rogue almost toppled over when a flying pink blur slammed into his chest causing him to drop a few of the bags he had been holding.

"Rogue! Did you bring Fro yummy fish?" Rogue carefully put the remaining bags he was holding on the small kitchen table before carrying the little exceed over to the couch to set him down. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of golden light as the small spirit disappeared while Lucy was petting its head.

"We did, Frosch, why don't you ask Lucy if she can give you some, so I can pick up these bags." As if on cue, Lucy turned around with a huge fish to hand to the little cat. Lucy giggled while she moved Frosch from the couch to sit on the kitchen table. She skillfully wrapped a small bib around the feline who gave her a confused look.

"It's a bib so you don't get your cute frog suit dirty! Look it even has a duck on it!" Lucy pointed at the small yellow duck that sat in the center of the white bib. Immediately Frosch's eyes grew wide as he stared down at the bib in awe.

"Rogue! Look at Fro's bib, it has a ducky!" Rogue finished picking up the last of the fallen groceries and turned to look at the two other occupants of the room. Frosch was a messy eater, so a bib was a great call by Lucy. Why hadn't he ever thought of that?

"It looks great on you, Frosch. Make sure to thank Lucy." Rogue listened as Frosch thanked the blonde who told him he was welcome. Rogue felt a faint smile tug at his lips as he watched the celestial mage pet his small companion before commanding him to eat.

He quickly dropped the smile when Lucy turned to face him with a confused look.

"Do you want a sandwich? It's late or else I'd make something a little better, but I'm actually kind of tired." Rogue nodded as he sat down on the couch, it really was a comfortable apartment, and though it was small it was the perfect size for one person or even a couple. Rogue frowned while he shook that last thought out of his head before looking over his shoulder just as Lucy bent down to pick something up off the floor, giving him a full view of her barely covered rear.

The dragon slayer followed the expanse of her bare thighs up to the skirt that was just long enough to cover her raised backside. He gulped when he felt heat rush to his cheeks while he quickly looked away when Lucy turned her head back to look over her shoulder.

In a moment like this, Rogue was absolutely ecstatic that the woman couldn't pick out his emotions like he was able to do with her. If she had been, she would have surely kicked him out of her apartment or at least knocked him out if she knew the lustful emotions that were coursing through him.

Lust was not an emotion that Rogue felt regularly before Lucy came into his life, in fact, it was something that never even interested him in the least. But as the weeks drug on and the more he was forced to be close to her, the more his body reacted on its own.

Rogue held his head in his hand as he tried to clean his mind a little. Who would have thought that one blonde fairy would be able to not only make him lose control of his own shadow magic, but also lose control of his own body?

Lucy was different, that much was true, and he couldn't deny the fact that she was attractive. Rogue often found himself growling at the other male members of Sabertooth whenever he would catch them checking her body over with their eyes, so maybe Rufus hadn't been wrong when he said that he would become protective over her.

Rogue was still trying to calm his young slayer hormones when the blonde finally walked over to the couch leaning over the back before she poked his shoulder. Rogue felt his magic hum with delight as it tried to call out to her's when she brushed her fingertips on his skin.

"Here, eat. If this isn't enough feel free to raid the kitchen. I'm going to go take a bath. After I'm done, I suggest you do the same." Rogue took the sandwich from the blonde, not even daring to glance back at her until he heard the bathroom door shut and a click sound as it was locked into place.

Rogue let out a sigh of relief once she was out of his sight. Staying in this small apartment with little to no privacy was going to be difficult for both of them.


	16. Chapter 16

 

**WARNING:  Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**This chapter is Beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should go check them out!**

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**CHAPTER 16**

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Sting looked up from his desk when he heard a soft knock sound through his small office, it was late and most of the guild members had gone home, or retired to their rooms. The blonde slayer's heart pumped faster as he watched the door open to reveal a fretful Yukino.

Sting took in her tantalizing scent as she walked past the threshold and shut the door behind her. It had been too long since they were able to be alone without Yukino having to worry about the other celestial mage, and Sting had missed having her as his company.

"Do you think Lucy and Rogue made it to Magnolia? Should we contact them with the Lacrima?" Sting watched the silverette as she bit her pink pouty bottom lip with her teeth in a worried gesture, sending a jolt through his body when he noticed her dampened hair.

"Rogue can take care of blondie, and I am sure they have been in Magnolia for some time now. Relax, Yukino." Said mage nodded as she pushed her hair back with one of her hands, tossing the damp strands about while she looked at the floor. Sting stiffened when the innocent act caused her scent to flow even further into the room, wafting around in him small waves.

Sting would be lying if he said he wasn't just a little jealous when he would see Lucy occasionally in passing or when they all ate together in the guild hall. The blonde had been completely saturated in his dark-haired partner's scent. Even though she carried her own unique undertones, the familiar smell that was Rogue clung to the blonde.

Even though Sting knew he shouldn't feel that way since Rogue and Lucy's situation was totally different from his and Yukino's, he still couldn't help feeling envious when he would sit close to the two mages.

Sting had wanted nothing more for the past few months than for Yukino to carry his scent the same way that Lucy did with Rogue's.

Sting felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end when Yukino shyly glided toward him, causing his line of sight to drop down to her swaying hips. The young guild master let out a groan as he suppressed the urge to feel the silky skin that lay hidden just beneath the thin material of her shirt.

It had been too long since he last kissed her or even held her close to him and he longed to feel her body pressed against his once again. For almost a whole month, Sting had been forced to live with only passing glances and stolen kisses in between the rare moments Yukino wasn't by the blonde celestial mage's side.

Yes, he was envious of not only the bond that Rogue and Lucy shared through unexpected events, but he was also jealous that Lucy had somehow unintentionally stolen the attention of both his partner and the woman he had come to love in such a short amount of time.

Sting watched as Yukino slowly pushed herself up onto Sting's desk, while she used her thigh to push the paperwork over to the side, making sure he would give her his full attention. The way her already short pajama shorts rose up to reveal more of her creamy thighs when she crossed one of her legs over the other didn't go unnoticed by the slayer. Sting's nostrils flared as he caught the scent of her arousal while he watched her pajama shorts rise up more when the silverette scooted closer to the edge of his desk.

"And how would you suggest I relax,  _Sting-sama_?" Sting felt a low growl form in his throat when the words left Yukino's plump lips. This woman knew exactly how to set him off if the growing bulge in his pants was any indication to go by.

The blonde slayer let his hand rest on one of her smooth thighs, giving it a good squeeze before he started to rub small circles on the soft skin. Yukino let out a soft squeak of surprise before she started to feel her legs open up from the once crossed position.

"I have a few ideas in mind." Sting used his free hand to push Yukino's legs apart before gliding in between them, the smell of her fresh arousal was now potent as he leaned his head forward to brush his parted lips over the column of her neck. A small moan met his ears when he moved one of his hands to press on her back to push her closer to him.

As far as Sting could tell from her scent, Yukino's innocence was still intact, making her a virgin.

He had always been a bit nervous to take things to the extremes in the past, worrying that she would have second thoughts and change her mind about being with him. He knew that girls viewed their virginity as something sacred, and he didn't want to take something so precious from her if she wasn't sure that she was ready.

But, the white dragon slayer couldn't deny that his intentions were far from moral and innocent at the moment.

All his inner dragon instincts were screaming for him to take her and make her his forever. He wanted more than just passionate kisses and eager touches. He wanted to feel Yukino under his body while he thrusts inside of her; he wanted to hear her moans of pleasure as he left the silverette breathless.

He wanted to mark her as his mate.

Yukino pressed her chest up against him, bringing Sting out of his thoughts before he mercilessly grabbed her hips while pressing his obvious erection into her clothed heated core, causing her to arch her back from the friction as he moved his hips to run against her. Yukino left her neck open when she threw her head back, causing the slayer to lean in to rake his pointed canines over the exposed skin.

"Do you know how much I've missed you?" Sting bit her earlobe as he thrust much harder than he intended, causing the silver-haired girl to mewl in delight while her body jolted.

"Do you know how long I have been waiting for a moment to be alone with you, without having to worry if you were going to be needed by someone else?" Sting bit into her neck softly, suckling on the skin until it was a light pink.

Yukino brought her hands to his blonde hair, tugging at the strands as if urging him on in his exploration of her body. He moves from her neck back to her lips, capturing the bottom with his teeth before his tongue found purchase in her mouth, he explored the wet cavern while taking in the taste of her.

She was so sweet that he couldn't stop the groan that left his throat while she tugged even harder at his hair.

Sting pulled away from her letting the sound of a pop resound through the quiet room as he moved his lips away from hers, enticing a soft whimper from the silver-haired woman while she grabbed desperately for him.

Sting made quick work of her shirt, grabbing it by the hem and pulling it over her head in one aggressive sweep. Sting smirked when a blush formed on Yukino's cheeks as she brought her arms up to cover her lacy white bra from his predatory eyes.

"Don't hide from me, Yukino." Sting grabbed her arms, making sure to plant a chaste kiss on each wrist before bringing them down to her sides. The blonde guild master felt a groan climb up his throat at the sight of Yukino rubbing her thighs together while she averted her gaze from his before his eyes roamed over her half exposed upper body.

"Gods, Yukino. You're so gorgeous." Once Sting was sure the celestial maiden wasn't going to cover herself again, he slid both his hands up her side, watching as goose bumps formed under his touch. Yukino shook in anticipation as his hands came up to rub the tender flesh right under the cups of her bra.

Sting used his thigh to separate hers so he could slip in between her legs once more, he could tell by the heady scent of arousal that she was already soaking wet, an observation that made his length twitch.

Sting kissed the side of her neck while he pushed one hand under the lacy fabric barrier hiding her breast. Yukino arched her back as the slayer kneaded the mound before tweaking her nipple. The panting woman let out another whimper as she bucked her hips into his instinctively. The blonde slayer used his free hand to hold her hips down, taking pleasure in the way she tried to twist her body in an effort to relieve the pressure building up in her nether region.

Yukino brought her hands up to latch onto his shoulders, using her nails to rake over the taut skin of his back. Sting kissed his way down to her collarbone, slowly nipping at the protruding bone before continuing on his journey down into her cleavage. Sting dipped his tongue down into the valley while moving the hand that had been playing with her breast to her back to unclamp the bothersome fabric standing between him and his prize.

Sting watched as the bra loosened then fell down her arms before he pulled it off and threw it across the office. The blonde wasted no time as he brought his mouth down to one of her puckered buds, he slowly licked it, pleased by the mewl that escaped the silverette in a haughty moan while her hands came up to tug on his hair once again. Her chest arched, as if begging him to continue.

"Sting, please…" Sting smirked against her bare breast, before sucking on her nipple, lavishing the sensitive skin with his tongue as he rolled it around in his mouth while his other hand came up to cup the neglected breast. Yukino shrieked when she felt the slayer's free hand move down to rub her through her thin cotton pajamas.

Sting had been right, he could feel her moist heat through her shorts, making him groan against her soft flesh. She smelt delicious and he could only wonder if she tasted just as good as she smelled.

Determined to find out, Sting let his mouth glide down, kissing just beneath the underside of her breast before moving to pepper small kisses across her flat stomach. The blonde chanced a glance at Yukino and the sight had him openly growling in approval.

The silver-haired woman had brought her hand up to her mouth, biting on the tip of her index finger as she tried to stifle her sounds of pleasure. Her eyes were glazed over with lust as she gazed down at him with a heavy blush on her cheeks.

The dragon slayer felt pride swell in his chest as he drank in the sight of the woman he so adored. The knowledge that he was able to bring her to a dripping moaning mess had him moving his head lower to the source of the appetizing scent.

Sting took one more glance at Yukino, as if he was asking for approval. When he saw her nod ever so slightly, it was all the confirmation he needed. Sting slipped his thumbs into the waistband of her shorts, hooking them on the material before yanking them down her legs as she lifted her bottom up, leaving her in white lacy panties that matched her bra.

Yukino in a burst of modesty tried to push her thighs together to obstruct his view of her still clothed core.

"Don't you dare close your legs, Yukino! Let me help you relax." The Sabertooth guild master practically snapped while he tried to pry her legs open. The celestial mage submitted, much to his approval. She slowly opened her legs, looking away when she felt him move her panties to the side.

Yukino jumped as she felt a slight breeze, she tried to close her legs again, only to be stopped as Sting dipped his head down to lap at her glistening folds causing her to fall back on the desk with a throaty moan.

Sting was right again, Yukino had been dripping wet and she was just as delicious as she smelled, the blonde had actually never given oral to a woman, he had received it a few times, but he had never met a woman that had smelled as appetizing as the silver-haired mage.

She alone had made him want to bring her pleasure in ways she never known. And if the tugging of his hair and the cries of pleasure was anything to go off of, he was doing a pretty damn good job at it.

"Sting, I can't…" Sting licked up her wet folds until he found that sweet spot that made her arch her back off the desk. Sting pressed one hand down on to her hip in an attempt to keep her down on the desk while he latched onto the small bud, rolling his tongue around it.

He loved her moans and he wanted to hear more of them.

The slayer lifted his free hand up to her folds, coating both his index and middle finger in the sweet juices before he thrust one digit into her. Yukino tried to lift her hips off the desk once more, but Sting forced her back down while he let out a groan against her clit as her walls clamped down on his finger. He experimentally moved the digit around in her, letting her get used to it before he added another.

Yukino let a soft whimper slip past her lips at the new sensation while Sting moved his fingers within her. It was foreign and pained her just a little, until Sting started circling around her clit with his tongue once more. The silverette tugged at his hair as she unconsciously bucked her hips onto his fingers. The pain faded as a whole new type of pleasure crashed over her.

Sting smirked when he felt her virgin walls tighten down on his fingers as he curled them deep within her, he kept a steady pace as he pumped his digits within her while sucking on the small bundle of nerves, he could tell she was close as she thrashed her head on the desk and started to try and meet the thrust of his fingers with her hips.

"Sting… Please…" Yukino didn't really know what she was begging for, but she couldn't stop herself when she felt the knot in her belly tighten and the heat between her legs become unbearable as Sting continued his assault on her most sacred place.

Suddenly, her back arched once more off the desk, causing her legs to tremble when she felt a wave of pleasure crash over her that she had never experienced before.

The white dragon slayer lapped greedily at the juices that flowed from her passage as she rode out her first orgasm. Once Yukino finally settled down along with her soft whimpers, Sting removed his finger and kissed her thighs before moving to stand up once more.

Sting groaned when he felt his erection twitch as it strained against his pants. He had to have her now. He wanted to show Yukino just how much he cared for her, how much he loved her. He wanted her and only her.

He knew that without a doubt that she was his mate, actually, he had known it for some time now.

"Yukino, I need you." Sting looked at her, his blue eyes hazy as they fell upon the naked woman who was still trying to recover from her intense orgasm, she looked like a goddess with her half-lidded eyes and the light sheen of sweat that coated her body. Sting couldn't help the gasp that left his lips when he looked down at her. She was gorgeous, and the sight only served to remind him of his aching cock. Sting settled himself in between her legs.

Yukino looked up at the slayer, her heart still trying to catch up with the rapid pace that it had set for itself. She held her arms out for him while he moved in and she leaned up as he leaned down, their lips met in a heated and passionate kiss; the ache in between her legs returning at the intensity at which he had stared at her naked form.

She couldn't deny that she loves him. She had missed him so much within the last month and being with him now was worth the month that she felt like they had drifted apart. Yukino wanted more of him, she wanted him all.

The silver-haired woman slowly brought her hands to the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head in an agonizingly slow movement. Sting grinned while he let the inexperienced woman take the lead for now. Once his shirt was off, she kissed his chest while reaching for his pants, she slowly pulled them down leaving him in only his boxers.

Shakily, the silverette reached her arm out to grasp the budge in his boxers that was rubbing painfully against her thigh. Yukino blushed when Sting buried his head into her neck, biting down softly on her flesh to muffle his pleased moan.

She stroked him through the thin fabric, faltering a little when she felt him twitch in her hands. Interested, she started to pump him at a faster pace, finally getting tired of the barrier, she slipped her hands beneath his boxers. Sting threw his head back with a groan as she gripped him without any clothing getting in the way.

The young woman sliding her thumb across the slit of his head before continuing to pump him once again.

"Yukino…" She jumped at the throaty moan that bubbled up from his throat as he gripped her wrist hard. Yukino whimpered when his hand tightened around it just a little too rough.

She lifted her head to look into his blue eyes, now clouded with a predatory gaze that sent a shiver up her spine while a newfound wave of pleasure pulsed to her core when his lips crashed onto hers once more.

Yukino gasped as his canines scraped against her bottom lip, allowing the perfect excuse for him to push his tongue into her mouth. She continued to pump him in her hand only to have him grip her wrist once more.

"If you keep doing that, I don't think I can hold back anymore.  _I want you…_ " Yukino's breath caught in her throat as she watched him lick her lips as she brought her other hands to his neck, pulling him in so she could whisper in his ear.

"And what if I don't want you to hold back?" The blond slayer tensed as her words struck him deep within his core, he felt his restraint break as his instincts took over when he grabbed both her wrists before pushing her back down on the desk before he climbed on top of her. He felt his member twitch excitedly through his boxers. His eyes darkened as he watched her bite her lip, waiting for what he would do next.

"Are you sure, Yukino? Once I start, I don't think I will be able to stop myself. Are you ready to be with me forever? There's no going back." Sting watched as the woman of his dreams shook her head before leaning up to kiss him, it was a soft kiss filled with love and passion, not as heated as the last ones, but still enough to fuel the ever-growing fire between them.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." That was all Sting needed to hear. He didn't want to waste any more time. He quickly reached between them, ripping off his own boxers before ripping off her panties, tossing both the torn pieces of fabric to the floor. He had fantasized about this for so long now, and it felt surreal to finally have her underneath him the way he had always imagined.

He felt Yukino buck her hips when she felt his length rub against her folds while she tossed her head to the side, he leaned down and latched onto her breast once more, using his tongue to caress the perked bud while his hand came up to massage the other, enticing a wanton moan from her lips.

Sting slowly slid his hand down her stomach, finally reaching down in between her legs once again. He slowly rubbed his thumb against her clit, causing a surprised moan to slip past her kiss-swollen lips. The slayer rubbed his other fingers over her folds coating them in as much as her juices as possible before slipping two digits within her, he scissored them deep within her tight walls, trying to stretch her out in preparation for what was to follow.

Yukino threw her head back with a startled gasp when she felt a third finger enter her, while Sting kept a steady pace, he made sure to thumb her clit. She could feel herself losing control when she felt the pleasure rise once more to an impossible height, when she was sure she was going to lose herself again Sting pressed down on her bundle while biting down on her nipple, causing an orgasm to crash over her once more. The force shook her leaving her a pool of jelly beneath him while he continued to push his fingers deeper into her.

Once Sting was sure she was ready, he removed his fingers, bringing them up to his mouth to suck her sweet essence from the digits. He made sure to lock eyes with Yukino, a smirk crossing his lips as a shiver ran down her body while she grasped his shoulders. Sting leaned down, rubbing his swollen member over her sensitive folds, causing Yukino to jerk from the pressure.

"Hold on to me, Yukino. I promise I will be as gentle as possible. Just tell me if you want me to stop, okay?" After watching the silverette nod before her eyes widen when he positioned himself at her dripping entrance.

Yukino gripped the slayers shoulders harder while he placed a hand beside her head to keep himself up, he used the other hand to guide himself slowly into her. Her juices from her earlier climaxes make for the perfect lubrication as he sunk his engorged head within her tight passage.

Yukino cried out when she felt his thick member push through her folds; the pain increased as she felt a sharp ripple from her tailbone up to her spine while he moved forward in his exploration. Sting's mouth came crashing down on hers when he came against resistance while halfway buried within her wet heat. The dragon slayer stilled as he kissed her passionately before looking into her eyes while using his free hand to push silver strands of hair from her forehead before he kissed it.

"I love you, Yukino." And with that, the blonde snapped his hips forward in one hard thrust. Yukino sobbed when she felt something within her rip, tears sprung to her eyes as she felt Sting move within her. The pain was unbearable, but Sting swallowed her cries as he kissed her, promising that the worst part was over.

He muttered small apologies while he stilled within her, making sure to kiss away her tears and stroke her cheek. Yukino's cries slowly died down before she thrust her hips up in experimentation, when only a dull ache met her, she nodded to Sting, who started to move in slow thrusts.

It was almost painful for the dragon slayer to stay within Yukino's tight pulsing heat until she gave him the okay. Her slick wet passage was gripping him in the most pleasurable way and he wanted nothing more than to ravish her, and make her his for the rest of his life. So when he received the okay from her, he let a please growl rumble from deep within his chest as he pumped within her in slow-paced thrusts. It wasn't long until he felt the celestial goddess beneath him trying to move against him as her pained whimpers turned to soft moans that spurred him to move faster within her.

Sting felt her nails rake down his back while she held him close before wrapping her legs around his hips. The slayer pick her up by the back of her thighs, making her wrap her arms around his neck to keep from falling. He grinned when the silver-haired woman let out a high pitched moan when his cock buried even deeper within her as he moved to press her back against the nearest wall.

Sting pinned her wrist above her head as he continued to thrust into her already dripping core. The slayer couldn't help but watch Yukino's perky breast bounce from the force of his movements.

Yukino threw her head to the side with a mewl as he kept pushing deeper and deeper with his chaotic thrust. Sting leaned down to capture her lips in an attempt to keep the deflowered woman quiet, but when she bit down on his lip, he let out a grunt of his own as he grabbed her hair to tilt her head so he could attack her neck in return. Yukino pushed down on his throbbing member in retaliation swiveling her hips while she tried to take control.

The dragon slayer growled at the silver-haired woman's attempt to dominate him before he moved them back from the wall, causing her to whine as he put her on her feet only to bend her over his desk.

Yukino felt her heart flutter in her chest when she felt him slide within her once again, making her back arch at the new position that allowed him to touch new depths. Sting grasped her rear as he pumped within her, feeling his release coming closer. He let out a groan as Yukino pushed back to meet his eager thrusts.

"Sting, I'm going to- I'm…" Sting felt her virgin walls pulse around him tightly signaling she was also close, the blonde quickly reached down to circle her clit roughly, trying to help her to the release she so desperately craved.

"Cum with me, Yuki. Be mine. Please" Sting groaned as he felt his release breakthrough causing him to let out a roar before he sunk his teeth into the silken flesh of her shoulder.

Yukino's orgasm rocked through her body when she felt the dragon slayer's sharp teeth pierce the flesh of her shoulder. Magic belonging the white dragon coursed through her veins, causing her pleasure to skyrocket as a plethora of ecstasy spread throughout her body when the jaws of the slayer sunk his teeth deeper into her supple skin as he emptied his seed deep within her.

It was only when the blonde slumped against his mate, drained from the exertion did he release his jaws from her shoulder. He moved back from the desk, pulling Yukino along with him as he sat in his desk chair with her curled in his lap, his still twitching member still sheathed within her warm body.

"My mate." Sting licked the bite wound on her shoulder while his newly deflowered mate snuggled closer into his chest with her eyes closed.

"Yours." Yukino confirmed before kissing the slayer's bare chest and sinking deeper into his hold.

* * *

_Lucy had been floating in the void that was the darkest depths of her mind for what felt like an eternity. She never wanted to return to this place, but it was bound to happen. Some nights were better than others but this was definitely a night where the darkness living within her won against the other magic that was in a constant battle for dominance._

" _I'm so hurt, Luce. I thought we had something special, but here you are, trying to overshadow me with my pathetic magic from myself of your time? Honestly, I'm appalled. Obviously, you have to be punished for your unfaithfulness." Lucy felt a boot slam into her back sending her into an unseen floor below. The blonde shrieked as she felt pain ripple through her body from the impact._

_She tried to stand, but a hand had grabbed her ankle, sending her sprawling right back down on the invisible floor. She tried to remind herself that it was a nightmare. It wasn't real. The real Rogue, the nice one, the one that tried to help her would wake her up any minute now._

" _He's not coming for you. Not this time, what makes you think that you are so special to him? I know him better than anyone, because I am that Rogue, the one that is staying with you, whether you like it or not, he will become me. We are the same, dear Lucy. You should just realize by now that he will leave you, and you will be all mine once again." Lucy sat up only to be pressed down on her back as she saw long silver hair pool on her chest. She looked up into his crimson eye, before shutting her eyes while saying a silent prayer that she would wake up soon._

_A hard slap to the face was felt when she started to repeat her mantra over in her head once again. Lucy felt tears spring to her eyes as she brought one of her hands up to hold her face where a stinging pain laid just beneath the skin._

" _Why are you so eager to leave me, my pet? Have I not been good to you? Look at the home I built for us, you ungrateful tramp." Lucy squeezed her eyes shut as she listened to the demented man that was now straddling her as he yelled. Lucy was terrified. She knew it was a nightmare, yet she couldn't help it, the pain felt real, and she could feel him as if he really was there. What if he was the one that was real and she had dreamed up the present Rogue as a way to pacify herself?_

" _Ah, I see so now you are starting to understand. That's right Lucy, I'm so very real. I'm as real as the world that you live in because I live within you. Why won't you just accept me?" Lucy felt her arms being pulled over her head as her wrists were enclosed by one of his big hands. She felt the heat of his breath next to her ear as he licked it before whispering._

" _It's lonely when you reject me for my weaker self. Can't you learn to love me as well?" Lucy winced when she felt his canines nip at her earlobe before he moved to bite her neck softly, causing her to arch her back as her body betrayed her._

_Lucy felt tears blur her vision when she peeked up from her lashes. She gasped as she noticed that it wasn't so dark anymore and the pain on her cheek and back had all but disappeared. Lucy moved her head to look where she felt a soft sucking against her collarbone._

_Lucy's eyes were met with a full head of ebony hair, causing her to blink in confusion as she tried to rid herself of the tears to see if her eyes were deceiving her. But when she moved to sit up, she was met with a confused look that probably mirrored her own._

" _I'm not hurting you am I, Lucy?" Lucy found herself shaking her head while she stared at the crimson eye that she had learned to trust, the one that was full of concern, the face that she had come to know over the last month. Lucy couldn't help herself as she threw herself at the Rogue from her current timeline._

_She felt his hand run through her hair while she clung to him. She had never had a nightmare that morphed into a dream before, but she was so grateful that she was no longer with the insane Rogue from the future._

_Lucy tightened her grip on Rogue, looking up into his confused face. She didn't care if she knew this was a dream, she didn't care if what she was going to do would be considered odd in reality. Lucy would allow herself a little joy for once, besides it wasn't like any of this was real and she was too shaken to care anymore._

_She needed this comfort right now._

" _Luc— " Dream Rogue was cut off as Lucy pressed her lips against his own as her eyes fluttered closed; a blush spreading across her face. She gasped when she felt him slowly start to kiss back. The shadow dragon slayer using her gasp as an excuse to push his tongue past her parted lips._

_Together they fought for dominance until Lucy was pushed back down gently on the floor by the dark-hairedslayer, a deep reverberating growl rumbling from within the male's chest._

* * *

Rogue stared at the blonde in shock, not even a minute ago she was crying and screaming in her sleep, even calling out for him. The feeling of dread and fear crashed into him as he felt her emotions when the dark magic within her began to rise and attack her. She had been covered in tendrils of the familiar black wisps of his magic. Rogue had instantly sat on the bed taking her face in his hands when he noticed the rise in power, he had wiped the tears from her face while he concentrated on overshadowing the other magic that was so keen on attacking her as she slept.

When the shadows covering her body had started to recede, Rogue had stood back up, ready to go back to the couch once again; but when a soft moan and the feeling of arousal and pleasure caught him by surprise, he stopped in his tracks. The heady scent wafted from the prone woman before it assaulted his nostrils.

His back had went ridged and an electric shock had forced its way down his spine before he turned on his heels to look back at the sleeping blonde on the bed.

Another soft mewl slipped past her parted lips while his eyes darted down to notice as she rubbed her thighs together. Rogue growled when the scent of her arousal washed over him, her sounds of ecstasy stirring something deep within him.

Rogue felt the control on his magic loosen as it begged to be released to go to her while she slowly withered on the bed.

" _Mmm… oh, Rogue_." Rogue's eyes widened while another shock buzzed through him, this time it went straight to his groin causing his manhood to harden considerably when the blonde whispered his name in such a lewd breathless moan.

A blush spread across her cheeks as she tossed her head to the side as if she was baring the soft skin of her neck to his view. Rogue felt this dragon instincts slip to the surface when he almost gave into his deep desire to kiss her soft skin and run his hands over her body. The desire to show her whatever she was dreaming of, wasn't anything compared to the real things he could do to make her breathless.

Rogue shook his head trying to remain calm when she called his name again, the needy mewl practically begging him to come to her.

His resolve broke.

Her absolutely mouth-watering scent along with her needy lewd calls of his name broke him as he moved back over to the bed, being careful not to wake her when he moved the golden hair from her forehead, he slowly leaned down to kiss her on her cheek only to have her toss her head to the side once again, baring her neck to him.

Gods, this woman was going to be the death of him. The instincts bestowed upon him by a dragon practically roared at the offering the blonde was tempting him with.

_Her soft_ _porcelain skin would look so lovely with his marks peppered over it._

The blonde was driving his instincts insane and all she was doing was sleeping. The dark haired slayer leaned down slowly, bringing his mouth to her pale neck where he placed a kiss next to her shoulder, playing to the gods that he wouldn't lose control.

Rogue blushed as Lucy arched her back into him causing her soft breast to push into his shoulder while stretching her neck out as if begging for him to continue. What was this Fairy doing to him!?

Rogue jumped from the bed, almost tripping as he made his way to the door of the apartment. The male practically ripping it open before he merged with the shadows to move down the stairs until he was standing just outside of the building.

The confused slayer rubbed his face with his hands before he repeatedly hit his head on the building's exterior. He had literally almost lost control of everything. His body, his magic, his resolve, everything had almost come undone all by the moans of his name by one blonde Fairy.

Rogue pushed his hair back as he let himself slide down the wall of the building until he was sitting. What was he going to do now? Did Lucy have feelings for him?

He wouldn't try to hide it, he was starting to feel like it was inevitable, like he had sealed his fate when he went down that pathway in Achidea.

He was almost certain that _he_  had fallen for the blonde celestial mage of Fairy Tail and there was nothing he could do about it.

Rogue chuckled at the irony of it all. His future counterpart was torturing her, and he was sitting here wanting nothing more than to protect her. Rogue put his head in his hands. What was he going to do? He could still the electrifying shockwaves of the blonde's pleasure even from all the way in the alley.

Needless to say, Rogue wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. His conflicting emotions and the smell of her sweet release had permeated the whole apartment, making it difficult for him to even breathe as every time he would inhale, he was assaulted by her heavenly scent.

He had refrained from going back into the apartment, opting to sit outside in the night air, hoping that the longer he waited, the more her scent would die down but he hadn't been prepared to be bombarded with wave upon wave of pure pleasure as he felt her own release rack through his still tense body.

The experience had been a whole different type of euphoric sensation he had never felt before in his life. The feeling had him almost on the verge of his own release without having to even be touched, something that turned into extreme pain when he felt his erect member twitch against the restraint of his pants.

Rogue had gripped the length in his hand while he felt another wave of Lucy's pleasure crash into his body. He couldn't help it as his hand slowly began to stroke the swollen member through his sweatpants. It had to be around three in the morning and he couldn't sense a soul on the cobblestone path so he let himself pump the ache away as he rode the waves of Lucy's pleasure.

It wasn't until he had heard the ghost of a scream of his name being called that he felt his own orgasm ripe through his body while his seed spilled into the fabric of his boxers as one last intense emotion rolled over him.

Rogue had walked back to the apartment, after he had come back from the high of his own pleasure. His body had been weak from the force of the intense release, making him sluggish as he pushed the apartment door open only to have his head swimming with the aftermath of Lucy's orgasm. The heady and sweet aroma sent chills down his back as he repressed the desire to taste her.

Rogue looked to the couch, seeing his somehow still sleeping exceed before he grabbed his suitcase while quietly walking into the bathroom where he removed his soiled pants and boxers, making sure to push them into the laundry basket under a towel. After cleaning himself up, Rogue walked back out to look at the small clock that had been sitting on the desk; the time read five in the morning.

There was absolutely no way he was going to get any sleep with the smell of a woman in heat surrounding the apartment.

Rogue crept to the bed, kneeling down on the floor while he brought his hand out to push the hair that clung to her skin by the slight sheen of sweat to the side, before he stroked the golden locks. Rogue let out a small gasp when Lucy brought her hand up to place it on his own, guiding it up to her soft lips where she gently placed a kiss before she let her hand go limp by her face. There, he felt it again, that adoration that he only felt when she slept or when he caught her stealing glances at him.

Rogue stood, walking to the couch to sit on the small furniture before letting his hand mindlessly pet Frosch. Rogue found himself glancing at the bed as the soft sounds of the sleeping blonde met his ears while he patiently waited for the sun to spill into the windows so he could start breakfast for their busy day.

* * *

Lucy rose from her sleep to the smell of bacon wafting in the air of her apartment and the soft giggles of a happy Frosch as he ran around the room chasing a small ball. Lucy rubbed her eyes sleepily before she stretched, enjoying the way her back popped from the movement.

The blonde woman made a move to get up, but her chocolate eyes widened as she looked down to her bed while placing her hands under the covers, she was completely soaked. Lucy panicked as she pushed her legs together as if ignoring the mess would make it go away.

Memories of her nightmare turning into a dream flooded back into her mind, making a blush rise to her face at the realization of what exactly the pool of liquid that soaked the sheet under her bottom was. Lucy peeked her head up to look around the room while she tried to move quickly but quietly from her bed to her dresser to get new clothes before sneaking into the bathroom to wash away the evidence of her sexual dream.

However, when she had finally made it to her dresser she watched in horror as Rogue turned from the small stove to look over at her. Damn it, he must have felt her embarrassment and frustration as soon as she woke up.

Like she could ever fool him, he was a  _dragon slayer,_ after all _,_ and he just so happened to be linked to her as well. Lucy felt the heat rise to her face with such a force that she grabbed her clothes before stammering an apology and locking herself in her bathroom, leaving the perplexed slayer to stare at the bathroom door.

The blonde felt like such an idiot, how could her body betray her like this when the very slayer she had been dreaming about was sleeping on the couch just a few short feet away from her. He must have felt and sensed ever wave of pleasure that had racked her sleeping body.

To top it off, he could possibly feel her arousal slowly return while she remembered the lewd dream.

Lucy ripped her clothes off, feeling extremely dirty from not only the juices that had soaked her, but from her feelings that just couldn't seem to stay under control lately. She turned the knobs for the bath, making sure the water would be hot enough to burn the arousal from her skin along with the horrible feeling of embarrassment that had seemed to form a permanent place low in her gut.

How was she going to face Rogue, after he so obviously must have witnessed her bout of ecstasy? Lucy watched the water fill the tub before she sank her body low to be surrounded by the liquid warmth. Her dream had been so real, just like they always were.

The nightmare had had her so afraid that when the vision of the present Rogue took over the nightmare, she had felt so much relief and adoration for the male, her savior in her dream. Lucy blushed which was definitely from remembering the touch and taste of his skin against her lips more than it was the heat of the water.

Lucy dunked down deeper into the water as she tried to clear her thoughts of the slayer. She had somehow clung to him while he drug her back from the deep void in the back of her mind as she slept, and she was grateful once again for the ebony haired slayer.

Lucy washed her body, taking extra care to wash the evidence of the night away from her heated skin. What was she going to do? She couldn't keep having such provocative dreams of the slayer who was staying with her.

The blonde watched the water drain away when she let loose the plug, deciding she couldn't just avoid him, after all. She had more important things to worry about than just her mixed feelings of the shadow dragon slayer.

After dressing in her usual attire consisting of a denim mini skirt and a pink tube top and making sure to brush out her hair, Lucy took a deep breath as her hand lingered on the doorknob. The longer she hesitated, the more her resolve started to break.

She was nervous and embarrassed to be in the same room as the slayer after last night. She was almost positive she wouldn't be able to control the blush that would rise to her face when he would inevitably look at her.

Shaking her head, Lucy used her hands to slap her cheeks before she grabbed the handle, ripping it open with more force than was needed. The humid air of the bathroom was immediately replaced with the delicious scent of breakfast as it wafted within the small bathroom. Lucy took a nervous step out and looked around to see that the ebony haired male was sitting on the couch with Frosch, playing. He must have already eaten, Lucy could only guess.

The blonde jumped when his gaze met hers before he quickly moved to stare at the wall instead, a soft blush was evident on his face. She knew it! He had witnessed her coming undone in her sleep, Lucy sighed as she blushed while walking behind the couch to dart to the kitchen.

Hopefully, she hadn't said anything like when Levy had watched her in the infirmary, Lucy felt like she would die of complete embarrassment if she had somehow let his name slip from her lips in such a wanton need.

"Miss Fairy! Fro can't wait to go play with Happy and the others!" Lucy jumped at his small voice trying to keep her eyes from falling on anywhere but the couch, but was finding it hard since the little exceed was sitting in Rogue's lap.

"I'm so glad to hear that! Don't worry we will leave here in just a little bit." Lucy fumbled in her refrigerator, taking out the milk to pour a glass, however, her hands were a shaking mess as she tried to keep the milk from spilling all over the counter.

Lucy put the jug down as she gave up, this was just too embarrassing. She felt a brush against her leg to look down to see Frosch had come to stand beside her with his paw on her leg.

"Rogue, Fro doesn't think Miss Fairy feels good, she is shaking." Lucy's eyes widened as she cursed every god in her head. Why her? Oh, dear sweet Mavis. Rogue was getting off the couch, and moving closer to her. Lucy jumped back as he got closer while she tried to hide her blush from the approaching slayer.

"Lucy, come here. Let me check and see if you have a fever, you do look a little  _heated_." Lucy let his words hang in the air as she watched him press his hand to her forehead, she could have sworn that she saw a smirk play across his lips before she looked down away from him. Was he toying with her? Before Lucy could ask, she was swept off her feet and being carried to the couch before she was plopped onto the overstuffed cushions.

"I-I'm fine, R-Rogue. I promise." The blonde tried to stand but was held back by a strong hand on her shoulder, keeping her from moving. Surely he had to feel that she was just embarrassed, not sick. Why was he even doing this, he couldn't be trying to act like nothing happened, could he?

Maybe he was just as embarrassed as she was. Lucy tried to concentrate on the bond they shared, but was coming up empty on his emotions. Why was this so hard for her, but so easy for him! It was not fair, she wanted to know what he was feeling, too.

"Shush, sit here and calm down, you're making my head hurt from the backlash of your emotions. I will bring you your food." Lucy let her mouth hang open in a protest but was shocked when Rogue stuck his hand out to push her bottom jaw up, before dropping a happy Frosch in her lap. The little exceed cuddled in her lap in an attempt to make her feel better.

"Lucy will be fine, Frosch. Don't worry." Lucy watched the slayer smile down at the little exceed. The fondness in the tilt of his lips had her heart jump. He was too attractive when he smiled, didn't he realize how much he drove her emotions crazy?

She was sitting there, remembering the way his lips kissed her in her dream, she had seen that same smile, only it was directed at her. Lucy rubbed her thighs together a little, before she realized she was digging her own grave remembering such thoughts.

If Rogue noticed her becoming hot and bothered by his smile, he didn't show it as he moved to the kitchen. The blonde listened to the clinking of dishes as he made her food before he came back over to the couch. Lucy thanked him while she tried to stomp out the fire that had started burning low in her belly.

How could she be getting so flustered like this with Frosch sitting on her? It was horrifying, that thought and the smell of the food started to put her mind at ease even just a little bit.

Lucy ate while Frosch talked to both her and Rogue; he was oblivious to the tension that had been building in the room as the dragon slayer took in Lucy's renewed arousal. The blonde watched as the ebony haired slayer leaned against the counter, his knuckles white against the ledge as he held himself there.

The blonde thought she felt desire through their bond, but it was so faint that she couldn't be sure.

"Are we leaving when you are done eating?" Lucy nodded her head with a small smile as she watched the exceed jump with joy, obviously, Frosch was ready to play with the other exceeds.

"If you like, I could call out Plue so you can play with him until we leave." Lucy watched the small cat's eyes light up before he shook his head eagerly. Lucy suppressed a giggle as she moved to grab her key before calling the small spirit out, who immediately started chasing the ball that Frosch had been playing with earlier.

The two ran off somewhere into the apartment leaving both Lucy and Rogue alone.

Lucy mentally kicked herself when she realized that yet again, she had dug herself deeper down a hole. Now they didn't have anyone to keep them distracted from the obvious tension building by the minute.

Was Rogue really affected this much by her getting hot and bothered? The celestial mage chanced a glance at the slayer in question. Her back jolted when she caught sight of the predatory gaze he was giving her from the corner of his eye. Lucy gulped down a mouthful of food as she stared back at him with her eyes wide.

She guessed that answered her question, the blonde observed as his eyes moved from hers to openly rake over her body, causing a shiver to shoot up her spine.

She knew she should have been afraid of the feral look buried deep within his visible crimson eye, but to be honest she couldn't bring herself to feel anything but deep seeded desire swimming down into her very core. Lucy squeaked as a low growl formed low in his chest while he visibly gripped the counter even harder at the sight of her rubbing her thighs together.

Since when did she become so weak to just his gaze?

Lucy shuddered before she looked away from Rogue, his stare was becoming too much for her to handle. However, the blonde practically fell off the couch when the sound of something crashing reverberated through the apartment. Immediately she jumped from the couch while putting her plate on the coffee table, Rogue followed close behind her as she made her way to the bathroom where the sound had come from.

The two mages looked into the doorway of the bathroom, causing them to brush against one another as they tried to both see what had happened. Lucy blushed as she looked back at Rogue when she felt his hand brush next to hers. It stayed there for a moment before they focused back on the noise coming from the bathroom, blushes evident on both their faces.

Water had been filling up in the bathtub almost to the point of it running over, and both Frosch and Plue were surrounded by various jars and bottles of different bath products. Lucy shook her head as she noticed the small table that usually sat next to the tub had toppled over, throwing all her products across the floor.

"Frosch, just what are you doing?" Lucy shuddered again as Rogue's voice struck a nerve within her. The sound had come out gruff and husky before he cleared his throat. Frosch looked up at the two mages with wide teary eyes, before he flew into Rogue's chest, causing him to wrap his arms around the small cat to keep him from falling to the ground from the impact.

"Fro didn't mean to knock over the table, promise!" Lucy shook her head as she watched a shaky Plue waddle over to her before dancing to try and make up for both his and Frosch's mistake. Lucy giggled before she pats him on the head while picking up the table and some of the bottles.

"I'm not mad at either of you. I was just worried you two might have gotten hurt." Lucy reached over to turn off the water in the tub before she stood up with Plue in her arms. She'd clean the rest of the mess later. Right now, she wanted to make it to the guild before her emotions went hectic again.

"Okay, let's head to the guild shall we?" Lucy smiled at Rogue before walking out of the bathroom and to the apartment door. It was going to be a long day, and she would rather start it sooner rather than later.


	17. Chapter 17

**WARNING: Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**This chapter is Beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should go check them out!**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

* * *

"You know if you keep chewing on your bottom lip like that, it's going to start to bleed." Lucy whipped her head to the side to look at Rogue, who didn't seem to even be trying to hide his blush from her anymore. The blonde watched as his visible eye glanced over to her, she had expected him to quickly avert it back to the road in front of them, but she was taken aback by how the shadow mage just openly gawked at her.

He was even being so bold as to drop his eyes down to stare at her hands that were tugging on the hem of her top, only to have his focus slowly make its way back up to her face once again; Lucy felt a shuddering rush through her body.

Ever since this morning, the celestial spirit mage had noticed the dragon slayer eyeing her closely, not even caring that his intense scrutiny was making her even more nervous than she already was.

"Would you stop staring at me like that you pervert!?" Lucy blushed as she brought her hand up to smack the young man upside the head, causing Frosch to jump off his shoulder to move to a safer place on Lucy's. The blonde hadn't meant to slap him, but Rogue's behavior this morning has been far from the conservative and modest dragon slayer that she had grown accustomed to over the past month.

"O-Oh god, Lucy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." The blonde sweat dropped when the feeling of regret touched her heart from their bond. She watched as Rogue shook his head in an attempt to rid himself of the fog that had been clouding his mind. The blonde sighed a breath of relief as she watched the feral look fade away from his crimson eyes, as if he was finally coming back to his senses.

Once the woman was sure that Rogue was fully recovered, she couldn't help but feel a little regret from hitting him in the first place. The shadow dragon slayer's stare, while it did make her slightly uncomfortable, it also had a way of exciting her in an odd way. Lucy groaned as she found herself wondering just why she had to be so conflicted about something like this.

"No, I'm sorry Rogue. I shouldn't have hit you." The blonde whispered as she tried to look anywhere but the slayer who stood next to her. It would seem she was just destined to make a fool of herself in front of this man. A sigh escaped her lips while she watched the proud building of Fairy Tail come into view, her anxiety starting to slowly burn deep in her gut once again.

"Oh no, don't you dare start getting nervous again. I was finally getting over that horrible feeling. You act like I'm going to let something bad happen to you. Yukino would use her spirits to put an end to me, and Sting would sit back and laugh while he let it happen. So, stop worrying." Lucy couldn't help the blush that rose; the poor shadow mage was going to end up with whiplash due to the number of emotions she speeds through within the span of just a few short moments.

The girl didn't doubt Rogue's words, in fact, it had nothing to do with that. She knew that he was more than capable of protecting her, but that wasn't the issue. Lucy was more worried about how Natsu was going to react.

Surely, he wouldn't physically hurt her… yes, he may be upset, but harming her? Lucy didn't think the fire dragon slayer would be capable of that.

"I wouldn't let Yukino kill you." The blonde giggled a bit while she felt the fabric of Frosch's frog suit as he rubbed his against head against her neck in an attempt to soothe her worried mind. Lucy took advantage of both Rogue and the exceed's attempts to soothe her thoughts and used their comfort to calm herself while taking a deep breath.

"Say Rogue, how far away would a dragon slayer be able to sense someone's presence or smell them before actually seeing them?" The blonde blushed as she looked at the ground. It was an odd question she knew, but she couldn't help that it had been bothering her that not only Natsu, but the other dragon slayers would sense her long before she even made it into the guildhall.

"Honestly, I don't think you should worry about that. Your own scent is so muted and the Fairy Tail slayers haven't been around you in so long that they most likely won't even recognize your new scent. If anything, they would only be able to recognize mine." Lucy frowned at that, she didn't realize that she had lost so much of the person she used to be.

It seemed with every passing day, something new about her would pop up while another part of her old self was chipped away. She shuddered at the thought…

_What if one day I couldn't even remember the woman I used to be before the Grand Magic Games? Before my life was turned upside down?_

The blonde looked ahead again, a present frown draped across her lips. It's not like she could be upset about it too much, but she couldn't say that Natsu would like the changes.

"But you still didn't answer the question, how much longer till they will be able to pick up your presence?" Lucy asked. She had always been genuinely curious after all, she vaguely remembered Rogue telling her that he had sensed a familiar aura down the pathway in Achidea and that's the main reason he went down the small trail in the first place. If her memory served her right, she had been pretty far from the main road down that path.

"It depends on the slayer. Wendy would obviously have a smaller range than the rest of us given that she is younger; in fact, there are things she can't even pick up on yet. I have a pretty far range and if I was at Fairy Tail right now, I probably would have already picked up on us by now. It wouldn't surprise me if Gajeel and the Lightning dragon slayer have already picked up on both of our presence." Lucy's eyes widened, they were relatively close to the guild now, but they were still at least ten minutes until they made it to the doors. Were a dragon slayer's senses really that strong?

"Dragon slayers tend to pick up on strong magical power, even from a far distance. I guess you could say it's an instinct. In fact, I'm sure just your presence alone is making them feel uneasy." The woman listened to Rogue release a quiet chuckle, the velvety tone making her shiver as a blush spread across her face, that was until his words sank in causing another question to arise.

"What? Why would I make them uneasy?" The shadow mage stopped walking, in turn causing Lucy to stop and turn to him. He had raised an eyebrow while staring at her curiously, the look causing the celestial spirit mage to shift on her feet. Being under the shadow dragon slayer's blood red gaze always made her a little more nervous than usual.

"Do you really need to ask? Lucy, your magic power is ridiculous. You have at least two times the normal amount of magic in that body of yours than a normal mage. Think about it, you have not one, not even two, but  _three_  magics being held within you. There is a reason you can't control it alone." The blonde reeled back in shock, she honestly had never thought of it that way before. But did she really have that much magic power to make a dragon slayer uneasy?

Lucy watched as Rogue started walking again, tossing a glance over his shoulder, telling her she should continue as well.

"Is it really that bad?" The girl whispered lowly, but she knew the shadow mage could hear her with his enhanced senses.

"Yes, it is. If you were somehow able to figure out a way to use mine, my future counterpart's and your own celestial magic in harmony, you could possibly be one of the strongest members of your guild. You'd be stronger than regular dragon slayers, considering you have not only my magic, but part of Sting's as well, even if you don't feel it. My future self had the power of the white dragon slayer too, that's probably another reason why I can't completely control it." Lucy let her mouth hang open.

Why  _had he not mentioned this to me early? Why hadn't anyone mentioned this to me?!_

This whole time she could have been training to control this magic instead of just fearing it? She felt a little betrayed that Rogue didn't tell her any of this sooner. As if feeling her betrayal directed to him, the dragon slayer turned back to look at her.

"What? I myself just came up with that conclusion so don't feel so ill-mannered toward me. I wasn't hiding anything from you, Lucy." The blonde sighed; she was such an open book to him that it made her feel completely pathetic.

"We are almost there, are you ready?" Lucy moved to walk next to Rogue, wanting to stay closer to the male. The celestial spirit mage knew as soon as she walked into the guild she would be bombarded with happy guildmates and she was still afraid of crowds.

Nothing would say 'I'm home' like a panic and anxiety attack right in the guild's doorway.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Lucy watched as they came to stand in front of the tall double doors. The blonde took in the structure, she had missed all the good times that she had had inside the proud building.

A small smile spread across her face as she remembered her first time walking through the double doors that stood directly in front of her. It had been so long ago, but she was starting to get the same giddy feeling she did way back then.

Lucy stepped forward, letting her shaky hands come out to press against the hardwood before she shoved them open; Rogue moved to stand by her side.

* * *

"Natsuuuuu! Lucy is going to be here soon, right?" Natsu watched the blue exceed float over the table, his small wings flapping just out of arms reach. The dragon slayer had been sitting with Lisanna, Wendy, Erza, and Gray while trying to keep himself as tame as possible.

Every Fairy Tail members had gathered at the guild for the past two days, waiting for their resident celestial spirit mage to show up. Everyone was accounted for, except for the actual guild master, who has been holed up in his office with a gigantic stack of paperwork for the time being.

Natsu had been trying his hardest not to bounce around the guild as the anticipation seemed to flow through the hall, touching every member, though that pesky flow of anticipation seemed to linger around the fire mage.

Something deep within himself told the slayer that today was the day, Lucy would show up at the guild _today_  and he was not going to miss it. He would finally see his best friend again and he was beyond satisfied that the blonde would be back where she belongs; with her family.

If you asked Natsu, he would say that's where she needed to be all along.

"That's right, little buddy! She should be here any minute now!" He gave Happy his signature goofy grin while the exceed shouted an ecstatic 'Aye sir!' before flying off to ask Mira for a fish. Natsu had waited so long for this day to finally arrive and he couldn't keep his giddy mood from showing.

He patiently bounced within the confines of his chair at the table instead of jumping around like the erratic mess he had been for the past month. His fellow guildmates were actually quite concerned by how tame he was, given the circumstances.

The whole time the celestial spirit mage had been away from Fairy Tail, the salmon-haired slayer had been worried about his teammate. Natsu had adopted a constant nagging in the back of his mind as he wondered when the bubbly blonde would get better, so she could return home, back to her family that was waiting for her.

He thought back as he recalled the Master telling him that not only he- but Gray was forbidden from visiting Lucy while she was at Sabertooth. The fire mage had been furious, even to the point of planning on sneaking off against the master's order. But his planning had come to an abrupt halt when Makarov had brought up that he would be kicked out of Fairy Tail if the fire dragon slayer defied his word; Natsu then had immediately scrap the idea.

Though the fire mage had finally submitted, he had made sure to make everyone's life in the guild as irritating as possible. He had been pissed that he was being kept away from an important member of his family without a good reason, so what better way of revenge than just being his usual annoying self?

Natsu let out a sigh. It didn't help that he was already in a foul mood without the presence of the celestial mage. Every time a small group would come back from visiting Lucy at the Sabertooth guild, the slayer would have to listen to the lingering gossip between the female guild members about a possible fling going on between the shadow dragon slayer of Sabertooth and his blonde partner.

It was a rumor that Natsu had scoffed at.

The thought that Lucy would even consider dating anyone from another guild had been ridiculous to the pyro. Had it of been true then that would mean the celestial spirit mage wouldn't have time for him, Happy or the team anymore.

Natsu felt a pain in his chest at the thought of losing the person he had come to think of as his sister. She was so innocent, so pure that the thought of her seeing someone just kind of pissed him off. Every time someone would bring up the horrid rumors, he wanted nothing more than to set the gossiping women straight.

Though he would have loved to give them a piece of his mind, Natsu valued his life since Erza and Mira were among the mix of the gossiping women. So, the fire dragon slayer would settle on sulking or annoying people to cope with the irritating chatter that his heightened senses would force him to listen to.

He tried his best to push the memories away before his good mood decided to take a turn for the worst. Today was going to be a good day because Lucy was coming back. So instead of lingering in the past, the dragon slayer instead tried to focus on trying to pick up the familiar sweet scent that could only belong to his blonde partner.

The slayer had his senses on high alert as he tried to seek out Lucy's aura, hoping that he would catch her before any of the other guild members who were anxiously waiting as well. Natsu lifted his head up as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end; he frowned as a wave of magic power he had never felt crashed into his alert senses. He could tell that there were two different power sources, but one was obviously more overbearing than the other. The fire dragon slayer's frown deepened as he inhaled the air, he vaguely remembered this scent. It was the scent of the shadow dragon slayer of Sabertooth, and the other source of the magic power smelled almost identical, with only a few minor differences. But the question was, why?

Why was there a second presence that was almost identical to the shadow dragon slayer's and why were they here at Fairy Tail?

Questions plagued the pyro as the two new visitors came to stand just outside of the guild's doors.

_Who exactly is this person with the shadow mage and where was Luce, damn it!?_

Natsu sniffed the air once more hoping that he was just caught off guard by the two strong magic powers to notice her, but he couldn't find her scent anywhere.

The salmon-haired slayer was sure the confusion was evident in his eyes as he let his gaze slide from the guild doors to the corner where Gajeel was standing up against the wall. Natsu could see the way the older slayer's shoulders tense a bit before his eyes narrowed to stare at the front double doors. The fire mage turned to see that Laxus was doing much the same; only the lightning dragon slayer had his body leaning on the railing of the second floor.

Natsu stood from his chair as he waited for the guild's doors to swing open, so he could finally see just who had decided to come in Lucy's place.

"Natsu, what's wrong?" he shrugged off the hand that had come to lie on his arm while he took a step away from the table; the pyro had been so enthralled with watching the doors that he didn't notice the hurt look that crossed over Lisanna's face as she lowered her arm then followed his line of sight. Natsu's sole focus was on the front double doors as if he were to turn away for even one second, he would miss something important.

"Oh, they're here!" The fire mage jumped a little as his attention was drawn from the front to watch as Wendy slid out of her chair before a delighted smile played across her childlike features.

Natsu was about to ask if the small sky dragon slayer knew who the other person with the slayer of Sabertooth was but didn't have time to ask as he heard the loud groan of the door's hinges as they were forced to open.

The fire mage tossed his arm over his eyes when a bright light filled the dark hall of the guild. Blinking over the overwhelming brightness, Natsu tried to make out the two silhouettes that walked just beyond the threshold into the guildhall.

He grits his teeth while he remained rooted in place as he rubbed his eyes that had started watering from the blinding light. His ears perked up as cheers erupted all around the guild while the sounds of scraping chairs were thrown into the fray. Natsu watched as his fellow guildmates, excluding Gajeel and Laxus, stumbled over one another to get to the front of the guildhall where the doors remained open.

"Hey Natsu, what are you waiting for!? It's Lucy! She's home!" The fire dragon slayer's back tensed while he stared up at the blue exceed calling to him from over the massive crowd, the blue cat laughed while flying joyfully around the hall while being trailed by the shadow dragon slayer's exceed that wore a pink frog suit.

Natsu felt anxiety settle deep within his chest as he looked back toward the swarm of people. What did Happy mean it was Lucy? The salmon-haired slayer sniffed the air once again, trying his hardest to pick up even the smallest trace of Lucy, but when he was met with only the smell of the shadow dragon slayer, he grits his teeth. Taking a tentative step forward, the fire mage narrowed his eyes while the crowd separated as he continued to the front of the guild.

He hadn't noticed the flames that had started to lick at his skin as his blood boiled with the unanswered questions lingering within him.

Natsu stopped in his tracks as he froze while the last of the crowd parted for him, revealing the two figures standing within the threshold of the Fairy Tail guild. He felt the breath catch in his throat causing an intense pain to stab at his lungs, as he refrained from breathing. He stared at the blonde while she took a step back from the intensity of his eyes.

If Natsu didn't breathe- if he didn't take in a single breath, he could pretend that this woman was his partner. If he didn't take a breath, he wouldn't be able to smell the Sabertooth member anymore and his focus would remain on the blonde in the doorway.

The pyro felt the world around him fade while he continued forward, taking another step; each step bringing him closer to the blonde that looked too much like his partner. In his dazed state, he didn't notice the way the blonde flinched as he moved ever so closer to her.

Natsu let his eyes roam over the stranger; though she looked like Lucy, especially while she was surrounded by the rest of his nakama, he couldn't believe it. He let himself take in more of the air surrounding him. Her smell was all wrong, so why was everyone so happy? Could they not see that this was not their Lucy? Could they not feel the difference between this mage and their own nakama? The celestial spirit mage, Lucy Heartfillia?

The guild had long since grown silent as they watched the scene unfold before their eyes. The only noise that could be heard in the room was Natsu's sandals as they hit the wooden floor beneath his feet, carrying him slowly to the front. Of course, the salmon-haired slayer didn't notice this; his main objective was finding out why this mysterious person looked so much like his teammate, and why she was even here.

A gentle breeze pushed through the opened guild doors, past the two new occupants, causing Natsu to stop walking. All the fire adoring his body immediately snuffing out in the process. The fire dragon slayer's eyes growing wide while the small gust of wind tossed the blonde hair of the Lucy look-alike, causing the strands to whip around her face while her scent rode off the wave of the gentle breeze as it carried the smell throughout the rest of the guildhall.

Natsu's nose flared as the gust twirled the woman's scent around him, filling his nostrils as he stood just a few feet away from her. It was that simple breeze that had let him catch the small faded sweet smell that could only belong to his precious partner. It was there but so light and muted that had the wind not have blown it right into his nose, he would have never caught it.

"Na-Natsu?" He felt like his heart had stopped when the soft and timid whisper of Lucy's voice broke through the silence of the guildhall. The fire dragon slayer reeled back a little at how small her voice was as she said his name.

Never once had he heard her say his name with such anxiety attached to it. It was then that he also noticed what a sharp contrast her voice was to the new tremendous amount of magic power she was putting off.  _It had been his Luce that was giving off that amount of magi_ c?

Natsu gaped at the blonde as she shuffled her feet around.

Of course, the fire mage knew that Lucy's scent had changed a small bit and her magic had been a little different ever since they came back from Crocus, but it hadn't been near this magnitude before she left. Now her scent was covered almost completely with the shadow dragon slayer's.

Natsu was about to reach out to her but stopped his hand midair when something on both her arms caught his attention. He let his eyes drop down only to be blocked as Lucy turned while wrapping her arms around herself. But it was too late, the fire dragon slayer had already seen the dark markings that covered her lower arms. Natsu paled as his hand faltered, causing it to fall back down to his side while his hands twisted into fists. The salmon-haired slayer tried desperately to process the black marking that swirled up Lucy's slender forearms, covering the once pale porcelain skin.

The closer Natsu was to her, it would seem the more he was able to pinpoint the various new scents coming from her body. One had him crouching down while a low growl escaped his parted lips-teeth bared, causing the blonde to jump back a little at the sound.

Natsu didn't realize the way he had got into a defensive stance as he caught the musky smell that now replaced the once pure scent that had been her innocence. Call it dragon slayer instinct if you will, but there was no denying that Lucy had been taken as a mate, by none other than the shadow dragon slayer.

_So that's why she smelled so much like that damned shadow dragon slayer. He had claimed her; the markings on her arms were proof enough!_

Natsu's eyes darted from his now frightened partner to the ebony haired slayer that stood behind her. The fire mage let his growl grow to fully reverberate in his chest, letting his disapproval known to the other slayers throughout the guild.

He couldn't help but think that the shadow mage must have forced the blonde, because there was no way Lucy would have let her innocence go to someone she had just met; let alone to the same person who was torturing her in her nightmares.

Before Natsu could think his actions through, he found himself moving to grab his nakama, his instinct telling him to move her away from the other slayer at all cost.

"Lucy, what did he do to you!?" He couldn't stop the hysterical tone of his voice as the words left his lips. The rest of the guild, excluding Laxus and Gajeel, looking at him with shock and confused expressions as Natsu grabbed Lucy's wrist causing her to wince from the force he used to try and yank her body to him.

The fire mage absolutely refused to let her leave the guild again, especially if Rogue had forced himself on her. Lucy was his family and he would protect her from the shadow dragon slayer if that is what he would have to do. Natsu would have Levy figure out a way to remove the other slayer's mark; he would do anything to keep Lucy from leaving Fairy Tail again if Rogue had taken something so special from her.

"Na-Natsu! Natsu, Stop! You're hurting me!" He didn't listen to her plea and anxious sobs as he tried to pull her away from the other slayer standing behind her. He hadn't meant to yank on her arm so forcefully, but it was too late. He couldn't stop her from falling to the ground as the momentum from the pull had her body toppling onto the wooden floor. Natsu ignored the metal clad hand of Erza that tried to stop him while he tried to force Lucy back up, his instincts taking him over as he yanked her wrist in an attempt to get her to move upright on to her feet.

The pyro didn't have time to react as his hold on Lucy's wrist was immediately severed; his breath was knocked out of his lungs while he was sent flying through the air only to be immediately crushed into something hard. Natsu gasped as his head and upper body took most of the impact into the unforgiving wood.

He winced as the wood started to splinter into his back through the thin material of his jacket. The longer he was held up, the more force was used to crush him into the pillar. It had taken the salmon haired slayer a moment for his eyes to regain focus from the unexpected hit, but once he was finally able to make out the face of the person pinning him to the wood, he was met with a single furious crimson iris along with black shadows radiating from the man.

* * *

Rogue felt his heart drum against his chest as his magic burned low in his gut. The ebony-haired slayer had been ready to step in between the blonde and the fire dragon slayer as soon as he noticed the tears threatening to fall from Lucy's wide and frightened chocolate-brown eyes.

Rogue didn't try to stop the rapacious animosity as it flooded through his veins while he froze in horror at Natsu who tugged harder on the celestial spirit mage's wrist; an attempt to make her move from her grounded position.

The slayer was all too aware of his shadows as they oozed from his body in uncontrollable wisps of swirling magic that wrapped around his body. The shadow mage felt a snarl form in the back of his throat as his focus was trained on the woman when she collapsed to the ground from yet another violent tug on her already impaired arm.

Rogue's now feral eyes dropped down to see where Natsu's hand was still tightly clasped around Lucy's wrist while the Fairy Tail member still tried to force the traumatized blonde back to her feet. His eyes wandered back to the blonde's tear-stained face as she clawed desperately against the fire mage's hot hands in a pathetic attempt to set herself free.

Shadows bled further out of the Sabertooth member's body, making his hair stand on end as he let his magic and instincts take him over like they both so craved to do since he had first walked through the entrance of the guildhall. The dark wisps of magic spilled out effortlessly as he let out another menacing low growl; causing some of the panicking Fairy Tail members to move away from the threatening magical power being released from the ebony-haired slayer.

Rogue snapped.

The shadow mage let a crazed snarl rip from his lips as he felt his body automatically move. Every nerve in his body had been set aflame when he finally found the will to move once again, his instincts hastily feeding the slow-burning shadows that riled within his gut as they slipped past their barriers. Rogue had expected Natsu to be somewhat upset about Lucy's new development, but he hadn't expected him to outright hurt the blonde.

All Rogue's focus was pushed into his magic as he sent a powerful punch to the fire mage's gut; causing him to release the hysterical girl. He stalked past Lucy's sulking form as he locked onto his still mid-air moving target. The shadow mage vaguely took notice of Levy moving over to help the sobbing blonde from the floor as he passed by.

One second was all it took for the shadow dragon slayer to gear up his body as he shot after the still midair fire wielder. Rogue used the shadows that had coaxed his body to help himself move faster as he caught the flying slayer by the throat before using his own hands to smash Natsu into the nearest sturdy object. The wood splintered and groaned under the force of the impact as Rogue held the other slayer against its rough exterior; his magic humming as it took pleasure out of the sound of the thick wood splitting beneath the pinned form of the pyro that had hurt Lucy.

"Don't. Ever. Touch. Her. Again." Rogue sneered, letting the words roll off his tongue as he pressed harder onto Natsu's throat, indulging in the exhilaration as the fire mage struggled against his constricting grip. The shadow mage felt his hand tighten while he bared his sharp canines to the other contained slayer before he lifted Natsu's body from the already tilting pillar.

Rogue's heart had fully been intent on beating the pyro against the leaning wood, making sure that each impact would be more forceful than the last. He wanted the wood to splinter into small shards under the weight of the other slayer, but his plans were crashed as a heavy hand fell on his shoulder.

Rogue growled as the hand tightened its hold on him, causing the shadow mage to put his revenge on hold as he swiftly turned to face the new threat. Dropping the barely conscious Natsu to the ground, he tried to hold back the devious smirk as he heard the sounds of wheezing and violent coughing; an indication that the fire mage was trying to replenish oxygen into his neglected lungs.

"Oi Ryos, as much as I love watching the fire-ass get the shit beat out of him, don't you think you should be taking care of bunny girl?" Rogue glanced from the iron dragon slayer to Natsu on the ground before at last training his focus on the curled up blonde that was slightly shaking as she tried to contain the magic that was slowly seeping from her body.

His eyes widened as he finally felt the anxiety, fear and hopelessness crash onto him with such force that he staggered back from the impact of the overwhelming emotions. The ebony haired slayer let his shadows return to the confines of his body as he tried to calm himself down; hoping that if he was able to reign in his own emotions and magic, he would be able to help Lucy faster.

Rogue closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath while he tried to regain control of himself. Guilt slowly started to consume him as he realized that there was no doubt that it had been his own magical outburst that had ultimately triggered the shadows within the blonde this time, whether he would like to admit it or not.

The sudden release of his magic must have caused her to lose control of her own. The shadow mage hung his head low; he should have controlled himself better. As if she wasn't already having a hard enough time when Natsu grabbed her. He had gone and made the situation even worse.

"R-Rogue…" The ebony-haired slayer slowly opened his eyes as her shaky voice caressed and squelched the rage still simmering low within him. Rogue let his eyes roam over the blonde's body, taking in her features and making sure that she hadn't come to any physical harm. The shadow mage sighed as his gaze finally dropped to the wrist that was slightly blistered and bruised from the rough handling of the fire dragon slayer. Suppressing an angry grunt, Rogue walked over to kneel before the shaking celestial spirit mage; taking special care not to touch her until she knew that he was the one in front of her.

"Are you okay, Lucy?" He watched as she looked up at him with those rare occurring blood-red irises, causing his breath to catch in the back of his throat. Regret flooded his heart as he stared deep into her eyes; he had done this to her. His outburst had not only frightened her, but she was trying so hard to keep the shadow magic from bursting out while she was around all her guildmates. Rogue felt the fear, and it was directed not towards him but toward herself, she was scared of hurting someone while in her current condition, and for good reasons.

"Y-yes," The male brought his hand up to gently stroke her cheek like he always did to calm her down, but the shadow mage was suddenly knocked away from the blonde as a flaming fist connected with his jaw. Rogue reeled back as he gaped at the fire dragon slayer, steam was rolling off Natsu's body as he tried to struggle his way out of the grasp of Laxus who had jumped into the fray to hold him back. At least one of the fairies had some damn sense.

"Luce is my partner, she's my family! I can't let you take her, not after you've stolen something so important from her! How dare you claim her you piece of shit! I bet you forced her didn't you!?"

Anxiety and embarrassment slapped at Rogue's heart as he felt Lucy hurting through the bond they shared. Chancing a look back at the source of the emotions, he was met with wide unblinking eyes of the solid script mage that was rubbing soothing circles on the blonde's back. He grits his teeth as he tried to keep himself calm for Lucy's sake which was hard to do when he had just been accused of raping the girl in front of her fellow guildmates.

"I would never force myself on her. What kind of barbarian do you think I am!?" Rogue snarled as he took a step toward the salmon haired slayer; his shadows begging to be released again as they sung just beneath his skin, waiting for a chance to escape his body. The Sabertooth member bared his canines as he tried to walk his way closer but was stopped as the stronghold of Gajeel wrapped around his torso restrained him.

"Oh, so you just expect me to believe she crawled into your bed willingly!? Lucy is better than that! She would never do that!" Rogue let a warning growl reverberate through the shocked guildhall.  _How could this idiot air out Lucy's dirty laundry in front of the whole guild, like the subject was not supposed to be kept private?_

Was Natsu trying to provoke the blonde into using all that pent-up magic? Did he want to be a test dummy for her? He felt the spike of anger as he glanced over to see the hurt look on the celestial spirit mage's face. Rogue wanted nothing more than to grab her and force his way out of the guild. She wasn't ready for this and neither was he.  _Why couldn't Natsu just be like a normal person instead of causing a huge scene?_

"Shut up…" The shadow mage turned his head to look at Lucy who was now standing, her head was bent so that her hair obscured her face while she took a step away from a worried Levy. The Sabertooth member shrugged his arm free of Gajeel's hold as he urgently tried to move his way back to her.

This was bad.

Very bad.

The guild had stayed quiet as the magical power from Lucy spiked to an uncontrollable level causing more shadows to seep from her; the black wisps swirled around her, tossing her hair from her shoulders as they clung desperately to her skin. Rogue took in the sharp intakes of gasps that sounded throughout the room as the blonde forced her head up to pin her blood red gaze on the salmon-haired slayer. Her eyes were filled with a mixture of embarrassment and hurt. The magic tossed her hair back before Rogue felt the small thread that had been holding her magic in for so long snap while a shockwave sounded throughout the guild.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" He watched as Lucy grasped the sides of her head, digging the nails into her scalp as her body was enveloped within the darkness of his shadows.

He didn't make it in time.

* * *

Lucy tried, she really did, but the small whispers in her head had turned into mind-numbing screeches as the magic carved its way through her skin, forcing its way up from deep within her body. All the anxiety and the fear, mixed with Rogue's incredible magical power had the blonde at the very edge of her control and she was about to lose it.

She had been so close to overcoming the horrible whispers, until Natsu had to go and release private information to the entire guild; information that Lucy had desperately wanted to keep to herself. Not to mention, the fire dragon slayer had twisted everything around, making Rogue out to be the bad guy.

The blonde was filled to the brim with rage and embarrassment, and that had been her undoing. The shadows ripped their way from her body in the form of a black flaming inferno as it festered along her flesh. She felt the slow burning of the world around her as she gave into the incessant whisperings from deep within the darkest parts of her mind. The voice she had been trying to hide away for over a month now.

" _That's right, Lucy. Let the magic take control now._ " The girl clenched her fists as the dark magic surged through her form again, causing tremors to rack her already shaken body. Not knowing what else to do, Lucy stood from the floor while pushing away from Levy. She needed to get away. She had to leave the guild now. The celestial spirit mage didn't know what would happen if she couldn't contain the increasing magical pressure any longer, but she did know that she didn't want to find out while surrounded by the people she considered her family.

" _Just give up. The shadows take some of the burdens off you for a while…_ " Lucy's hands balled into fists while they remained at her side. Finally chancing it, the blonde lifted her head slightly to where she was able to see the scene before her, but her eyes were still obscured from anyone else's view. Was it asking too much for all the talking to stop? Natsu's obnoxious tirade as he released her private information and future Rogue's voice that still lingered within her mind, along with the hushed whispers of her guildmates; she just needed them all to be quiet.

" _Lucy... Luce_." The girl shook her head from side to side as she tried to force the voice from the confines of her mind to be silent.

"So, the Saber and Lucy really do have something going on!?" Lucy felt tears prick her eyes as she heard the soft murmurs sound through the guild. This was too much for her.

_Be quiet. Be quiet. All of you just stop! Stop!_

"Oh, so you just expect me to believe she crawled into your bed willingly? Lucy is better than that! She would never do that!" Her head snapped up as she finally felt the small damn break as a magical force she had never felt before slip throughout her being. Her vision faded as she felt magic touch every part of her body, clinging to her flesh as it fed off her anger, betrayal, and embarrassment.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Lucy snapped her hands up to her head, letting her nail's dig into her scalp as she silently tried to block out the voice that crackled from deep within her mind. She could feel her hair flipping all around her as the dark shadows lifted it to merge with the dark wisps. Her eyes shot up to stare at the fire dragon slayer. It was his fault! Natsu had started all of this. If he would have just kept calm and asked instead of jumping to conclusions, she wouldn't be going through this right now!

"Lucy!" The celestial spirit mage felt a shockwave rip through her body as she let the gleeful voice within her take over, finally giving into the dark magic within her body.

She could only hope that Rogue would be able to help her get back from the deep and dark depth within her own mind that his future counterpart had created.


	18. Chapter 18

**WARNING:  Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

**Chapter 18**

* * *

The members of Fairy Tail stood frozen as they witnessed Sabertooth's shadow dragon slayer get hit with the magic that had been building up within their celestial mage. The blast sent the dark-haired male soaring across the guild and into the staircase, causing clouds of dust to rise into the air while rubble flew in disarray around the small guild hall. The sound of crushing wood could be heard as the slayer's body took the impact.

None of the guild members had expected the shadow mage to take the brunt of the shockwave either, and to say they were all dumbstruck when he was sent further into the guildhall from the brute force would be an understatement.

The guild had anticipated a fight between Rogue and Natsu, but they hadn't expected their own Lucy to be the one that would ultimately steal the show with the overbearing amount of magical power that rolled off her small body.

The powerful magic had all the wizards scrambling to various parts of the guild as their fight or flight instinct kicked in. All of them chose to move away from the enraged blonde, leaving her to get her well-deserved revenge on the blabbering idiot who was without a doubt their fire dragon slayer.

* * *

_Red._

The color had always coincided with some of the fire mage's most precious memories growing up alongside his father. The fiery hue usually would bring back sentimental memories that would otherwise stay locked within the deepest corner of his mind as he tried to forget his abandonment by remembering the affections shown by the fire dragon instead.

Even so, the color still soothed the salmon haired young man; it served as a reminder of the heat that used to radiate from the proud noble fire dragon's scales as his father protected the tiny slayer at such a young age. The warm primary color was also the hue of the pyro's precious guild mark that he wore proudly on his exposed shoulder.

Natsu had always found a familiar sort of comfort in the warm summery color; it reminded him of the love he had been given as a child by the only father he had known and the acceptance of the guild he had come to cherish over the years.

But as Fairy Tail's fire dragon slayer came face to face with the maddened scarlet irises that had once been a deep honey brown, Natsu felt none of the fond memories or warmth that he usually would when associated with the fiery blazing color, red.

Instead, he felt utterly cold- as if the flame that burned within him was snuffed out by the relentless crimson gaze that had locked onto his onyx orbs.

Never once had Natsu thought he would hate the color as much as he despised it right now.

Standing in front of him now, the Celestial wizard he had come to cherish looked nothing like her once bubbly charismatic self. Her physical features had all but changed in front of his very eyes. If Natsu didn't know any better, he would have honestly thought that the blonde standing just a few short yards in front of him was actually a mage of the shadows- a shadow dragon slayer.

The salmon haired slayer took notice of the way the strands of Lucy's golden locks as they lifted into the air around her face, only for the ends to fade into dark wisps of the translucent shadows that exuded from her feminine body.

The dark magic seeped out from the girl's skin, causing her body to be obstructed from his view every now and then while the dark magic worked its way to wrap around her small frame. She truly was a sight straight from a horror story, the kind that his dragon foster parent would tell him when he was acting out; just to get a little fear from the small boy at the time.

Lucy.

 _His Luce_.

She was  _gone_.

The blonde standing in front of him now did not resemble the sweet girl he had brought to Fairy Tail. She looked nothing like the Luce that he had gone on countless missions and shared numerous memories with.

This person, who was currently giving him the most daunting look, was a stranger to him. One that sent a painful ache up his body and straight to his chest.

_When had Lucy become this person and was it possible to ever bring back the woman he considered his family? Had Rogue's magic really taken away every part of the Celestial mage that had made her who she was?_

Natsu grunted when he felt Laxus' death grip tighten around his upper arms as the fire mage moved to brace his feet firmly against the wooden floorboards of the guild. The shockwave that had been released from the Celestial wizard had caused most of the Fairy Tail guild members to be pushed back or fall from the force of the magical power that had been liberated from the blonde's body.

Even the dragon slayer of Sabertooth had been sent flying across the guild from the tremendous wave of dark magic; having not had braced himself for the coming onslaught.

The pyro user had even cringed when he witnessed the force it had taken to send Rogue's body sailing into the now destroyed staircase that once led up to the second floor of the guildhall. Of course, that didn't surprise Natsu since the shadow mage had fought hard to get to Lucy in time before she lost control.

Unfortunately, luck was not on his side as he inevitably lost the battle of time, causing the Saber's body to take the direct hit from the dark magic that was let loose from the trembling and frantic zodiac wielder.

The salmon haired slayer found himself glancing over to where Rogue was lying in the pile of splinted and destroyed wood of the staircase. Wendy was now by his side as she tried to heal his fellow slayer's wounds from the incredible attack.

_Had Rogue jumped in front of Lucy to protect the other guild members from that amount of shadow magic? Or was he trying to stop Lucy before it was too late?_

Either way, Natsu had no doubt that if the ebony haired wizard hadn't of been in front of the blast, most of Fairy Tail could have been seriously injured.

_"Nat ~ su ~…"_

The chillingly calm tone brought the fire dragon slayer from his thoughts as he listened to the tickling draw of her voice. She let his name roll off her tongue as if she was playing with the two syllables in a sing-song type of fashion.

The sound of his name slipping past her lips with her blood-red eyes stalking him like prey had a shiver trailing down Natsu's spine.

The fire-breather recalled all the other times he had heard his name being called in that same tone and it never meant anything good for the slayer. Hearing Lucy's voice attached to such a physically different person made him feel off; making a cold sweat break across his scorching forehead.

If Natsu were to be completely honest, at that very moment, the blonde's appearance alone was even more petrifying than both Erza in her Heaven's Wheel armor and Mira in her Sitri form combined. The icing on top of the terrifying cake was adding the amount of power packed behind those frightening features; she had reached a whole new level of the word scary.

Natsu gulped as he watched the celestial-gone-shadow mage step closer to him, causing the salmon haired slayer to shrink back from the overwhelming power that oozed from her form. It was only when the fire mage moved back a little more did he realize that the lightning dragon slayer had made a swift exit from the vicinity; as did most of the other guild members as they tried to put distance between themselves and their crazed blonde guildmate.

_Stupid Natsu! Stupid, stupid! Look what you've got yourself into, you've gone and turned Lucy into a raging psycho._

"Um, hey there, Luce! Looks like you have some major magic now." He chuckled while rubbing the back of his head. His grin faltered while he tried to make light of the situation but found that only pissed the already irate woman off even more.

Taking one more cautious step backward while wiping some of the lingering sweat from his brow, the pyro user groaned. His back had unexpectedly slammed into the crooked and splintered wood of the pillar he had been pinned against not too long ago.

Natsu's eyes darted around the guild in hopes that someone would come to his aid but when he noticed everyone staying firmly rooted to their stakeouts, he sighed.

_Some Nakama he had. They were just going to let him be murdered by his best friend._

The slayer visibly winced while Lucy's expression darkened into an even more sadistic grin, if that was even possible as she watched him with those piercing crimson eyes. She had successfully cornered her prey.

"You like it? I've never felt more powerful than I do right now."

Natsu watched as the blonde brought one of her hands up letting the shadows dance across her opened palm, the black tendrils growing larger and longer the more magic she poured out before crushing them with the tightening of her fist. The fire mage had never seen Lucy look so demented; it was almost as if she was possessed by some feral being that had been locked away deep within her.

"Uh guys, a little help would be nice!" Natsu looked around again, hoping that his plea would be heard and answered but when his eyes fell upon Erza and Gray, that small thread of hope was severed by the sharp glances his two teammates sent his way.

"No way am I stepping in front of that mess of power, you're on your own flame brain." The ice-make mage tossed his hand up as he dismissed the dragon slayer in distress.

"I don't agree with how you treated Lucy, so I will allow her to punish you with how she sees fit." Natsu paled as the requip mage crossed her arms while keeping her stern stare on the scene in front of her.

A shock of alertness skidded across the pyro user's body as the girl being caressed by shadows pinned those deep ruby eyes on him once again. Dread welled up in his chest when he chanced one final glance around the guild hoping someone would show him mercy and come to his aid, but it was clear no one planned on trying to stop Lucy from bringing on his impending doom.

_Oh god, I'm going to die._

"Oh yeah, that reminds me…" before Natsu's eyes could even register the blonde's movements, the shadow incased celestial wizard had appeared beside him as a translucent black blur. The salmon haired slayer was able to make out her lips as they curved upward to give him another vicious grin before she swung what he could only assume was her leg out to send him a forceful kick infused with shadow magic.

The woman's limb connected with Natsu's torso, causing the dark magic to burn him in a torturous way he had never felt before. It was almost as if the intangible shadows ate at his skin as they clung to his body, feeding off the power Lucy had used to send the unexpected blow.

_Guess this is the upgraded version of a Lucy-kick, huh?_

The fire mage let out a loud yelp when his body was sent in the opposite direction, causing him to crash into various tables and chairs before finally coming to a stop as his body rolled on the ground; sending guild members scattering away from the dragon slayer.

The shadow magic that Lucy wielded was like nothing he had ever felt before even when he had fought Rogue at the Grand magic games or when he fought the future Rogue during the Eclipse gate fiasco.

Just what was going on inside his best friend that made the magic burn him in such an excruciatingly painful way?

Natsu gasped as he felt the air beside him shift, letting him know that the blonde was now sitting with her legs crossed on one of the still remaining upright tables. He didn't even see her move! One moment she was a few feet away from him and the next she was gone.

_Had she used speed? Or was she slipping into the shadows? Had Lucy learned to use Rogue's magic while she was at Sabertooth?_

So many questions were plaguing the fire wielder's mind but he didn't have the luxury to ponder them as the celestial-gone-shadow wizard appeared in an intangible fray of darkness above his crumpled body, poking him in the shoulder with one of her heeled boots.

"Tell me Natsu, just what gives you the right to talk about my personal life as if I am not even in the same room?" He could only gaze up at the infuriated female. What other choice did he have? His body ached all over and he was still reeling from the unexpected blow of her shadow magic that he didn't feel he could actually move at the moment.

Lucy was still his Nakama and he really did believe that he had her best interest at heart. But right now, this Lucy that was standing over him, he didn't know her. She had turned into something other than just a Celestial mage, be it the shadow dragon slayer's mate, or some odd combination of multiple magic powers; Lucy had changed.

Her scent, her magic, her appearance and even her personality. All of it sent him to a whole new level of uneasiness.

_Where was his Luce?_

Natsu moved to get up but before he could even lift his torso fully from the ground, his back was slammed down once again into the broken wood beneath him. The salmon haired slayer coughed up blood as he felt the force of her heeled boot dig into the underside of his ribs while splinters of broken lumber dug deep into the skin of his back through his jacket. The fire mage tried to will his eyes to focus awhile he followed up the length of the black boot that had been slammed into his chest.

The pale skin along her slender legs was now covered with the same black markings that he had noticed earlier. She looked so much like a slayer in their dragon force that it was almost hard for him to believe that she hadn't somehow transformed into one. Though the magical power from her shadows felt like the slayer of Sabertooth, they also had a more malice feeling than the Rogue he had met at the grand magic games.

_No, these shadows did not belong to the present shadow dragon slayer. So that means…_

Natsu's eyes widened as the pieces fell into place.

_Is this magic actually future Rogue's? Had Luce actually channeled shadows from the magic that had been torturing her?_

"What are you brats in here tearing up now!? Don't you know I'll already have to pay for the damages that are sure to happen between Natsu and Ro-" The salmon haired wizard listened to the voice of the old master before it faded when the old man undoubtedly stared down at the scene before him. Even though Natsu's vision wasn't the best at the moment, he could still hear the intake of breath from the shocked guild master.

"L-Lucy, my child. Is that really you?" The pyro user tried to scramble to sit up the best as he could while still having Lucy's shadow encased foot slammed into his torso, but that only caused his lungs to heave as he let out a pained gasp. His body was on fire and not in the way he was used to.

Pain shot through him like an inferno of chaotic flames that he could not control and that was the most painful part; Natsu had always thought he was incapable of being burned, but it turned out he was terribly wrong.

"M-Master… Luce… she isn't… she's not herself." The dragon slayer felt the overbearing pain die down when the blonde finally removed her foot before she turned to face the shocked and wide eyes of the Fairy Tail guild master.

What he didn't notice was the focus starting to return in her crimson eyes.

* * *

Rogue's body twitched as he finally regained consciousness. The ebony-haired slayer had almost been completely convinced that he had, in fact, died while trying to take most of the damage from the magic that had rocketed from Lucy's body. Of course, that theory had soon been debunked by the throbbing pain that covered his now injured and bruised body.

The shadow mage slowly pushed himself up from the floor, ignoring the blue-haired dragon slayer that had been trying to heal him while he laid unconscious. A quick look around the guild had him sighing in relief; all of the fairies were saved from the sudden tremendous outburst of shadow magic. Rogue wouldn't be able to live with himself if he let something happen to the celestial wizard's guildmates because of his lack of control over his own emotions.

When he threw himself in front of the blast, he hadn't realized just how much  _power_  had accumulated in the small timeframe of his and Natsu's argument. His body protested as he fully sat up, trying to focus his now spinning vision.

_Where was Lucy?_

He could feel the magic radiating from her but his eyes wouldn't focus enough for him to even see her.

"Rogue … let me heal you just a little while longer. I think you have a concussion and all I need is one more minute. Lucy needs you in perfect health so you can help her." The ebony haired slayer was forced to lie back down as the pre-teen used her magic on him. The warmth from Wendy's hands moved from various parts of his body before making their way to his throbbing head. While Rogue's eyes slowly started to regain their focus, he felt something lightweight land on his stomach.

"Rogue! Is Miss Fairy going to be okay? She's scary." He moved his hand to rub Frosch's head before moving to sit up once again, this time without any dizziness. The shadow mage was finally able to take in the damaged guildhall and a few of the frightened or amused faces of the Fairies. He followed their line of sight and was met with Lucy's shadow covered form towering over an injured Natsu.

"Don't worry Frosch, I'll help Lucy out of this." Rogue hoped that he would be true to his words. He didn't want to upset the little exceed and he wanted to believe Lucy's willpower was strong enough to where she was still holding on to some part of herself; that she hadn't let the darkness completely overtake her.

The slayer observed the cruel sadistic smirk that looked so wrong on her otherwise soft features. Black markings now covered her body and parts of her face, something that if it were under different circumstances, he would have found highly erotic.

Okay, the shadow mage still found it erotic, especially since he believed Natsu deserved to be cowering in fear of how strong and  _terrifyingly sexy_  she looked right now.

Shaking his head in realization, Rogue felt like he was going to be sick. How could he even think such things? He should not be thinking about that right now when Lucy was on the brink of losing the last remaining piece of herself!

With that thought in mind, the dragon slayer hoisted his body back onto his feet, finally able to move his body without pain. The mage of Sabertooth finally felt the woman's emotions as they filtered through him, causing more regret to brim in his heart.

Agony, embarrassment, betrayal, and  _satisfaction._

The last emotion threw him off as his steps faltered. Was Lucy finding satisfaction out of torturing and beating Natsu? He could only guess that should be expected, the fire wielder embarrassed her in front of her guild and she was getting her revenge by doing the same to him. How odd, her reasoning was practically that of a dragon slayer while she was using the shadows.

That honestly shouldn't have surprised him since it was shadow dragon slayer magic that she was using after all. In fact, she practically had the looks of a true slayer now. What with her wild and crazed hair and eyes, his marks of the shadow dragon slayer adorning almost every inch of her body. She really was a sight to behold.

"Lucy…"

The dark haired slayer now stood directly behind the celestial-gone-shadow mage. His breathing hitched as he watched the woman slowly turn to face him instead of the master that had been awestruck by her appearance. Her ruby irises glistened as unshed tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Even though she still held that wicked smirk across her lips, the threat didn't reach her penetrating gaze anymore.

_She's suffering; the shadows are making her suffer._

Rogue felt his heart shatter; the broken look in her scarlet stare had him at a loss for words. In those red irises that mirrored his own, he saw the blonde that he had encountered almost a month ago. The scared and confused look reminded him so much of the blonde fairy that had been laid up in Sabertooth's infirmary. If it wasn't for her obvious appearance change, he would have felt like he had been transported back to the beginning days of their first encounter after bringing her to his guild.

He could feel her confusion, her pain, and despair as it hit him head-on. Making his chest ache as a fire ate at his own emotions. The shadow dragon slayer had been knocked out by the explosion of magic, so he didn't have the slightest clue as to what the celestial mage had done to Natsu. Something told him that if Lucy was in her right state of mind, she would have never done it in the first place.

Rogue couldn't keep the regret and self-loathing from stabbing into his heart. It was his magic that was slowly tearing every last piece of her into tiny fragments and he wanted to try and change that. If he couldn't force the magic from her, he had to change its dynamics or he had to help her channel the shadows the right way, without it becoming too much for her to handle.

"Please watch over Frosch for me, Levy and Wendy." He shot a glance over his shoulder to make sure that at least the small dragon slayer had heard his plea. Once he received an affirmative nod, he turned back to the task at hand. The shadow mage didn't feel right leaving his small partner behind but he definitely didn't want him around Lucy at the moment either, so the wizard of Sabertooth would reluctantly trust his little companion to the safety of the two fairies he knew he could at least trust.

The ebony haired slayer moved fast, making sure not to let his quick steps startle her as he grabbed the shadow infused celestial mage, making sure to wrap his arms tightly around her torso before he enveloped the both of them in his own shadow magic. He didn't want her to escape from his hold before he had the chance to relocate the both of them. He needed to get them somewhere he didn't have to worry about the prying eyes of her fellow fairies and the only place that could come to mind was Lucy's apartment.

Rogue took one last look around the guild, making sure to mouth to Frosch that he would be back soon to get him, before he melted both Lucy and himself into the shadows. The dragon slayer made sure to keep a firm hold on the blonde as he flipped her up to carry her bridal style so she wouldn't slip away from him if for some reason she decided to use her own magic. But Rogue found as he looked down at the woman that she didn't seem to be fighting him one bit as she hung limply while her head was tucked against his shoulder.

Had it really only took his intervention to knock her out of the magic-induced crazed she had been in? Or did she snap out of it on her own? Maybe she was getting better at controlling the dark magic that resided within her, the shadow mage mused.

_So there was possible hope that things could turn around to work out in her favor?_

Rogue hurried along the busy streets of Magnolia while blending them in with the shaded parts of the path, backtracking his way to Lucy's apartment the best he could with his memory. Though he wasn't a memory-make mage like Rufus, the dark-haired slayer didn't have the worst memorization skills, plus it didn't take him long to pick up the sweet aroma that belonged to the blonde's home.

Once they were finally just outside of the faded red building, Rogue rematerialized the both of them from the shadows. Lucy had basically fallen unconscious, that realization didn't really shock the mage of Sabertooth considering just how much magic she had drained from the explosive outburst. The shadow mage was starting to wonder just how reckless the blonde haired woman could be when it came to her magic, not that she didn't have any control over it this time, but he was starting to notice a pattern.

Rogue took one stair at a time as he carried the sleeping blonde up to her apartment; thanking his luck that the door was unlocked. They must have forgotten to lock it on the way out earlier that morning. He kept the door open with his back as he maneuvered his way inside, once he was finally passed the threshold the dragon slayer came to face the blinding golden light as a gate formed in front of him. The light hues slowly fading revealed the fiery mane of the lion as he stepped away from the now closing gate.

Rogue watched as an angry scowl formed on the spirit's face as he took in the state of his Celestial mage.

_Great another headache…_

"What the hell happened!? None of Lucy's spirits could feel her for at least fifteen full minutes! None of us could even open our gates. It was as if she had died or something was blocking us!"

The shadow mage rolled his eyes. So it would seem if Lucy was to use shadow magic, she wouldn't be able to use her celestial magic at the same time.

_Interesting._

"Hey, shadow cub! I'm talking to you. I have no idea what happened within those fifteen minutes, so if you could please enlighten me, that would be fantastic." Rogue felt a tick mark form on his forehead as the lion spirit moved to take Lucy's unconscious body from his grasp. The slayer moved to the side while turning a little so the blonde was just out of the other male's reach.

"I'm putting her in her bed. I was unconscious for most of what happened, but I can tell you the shadow magic took her over for the time you weren't able to feel her. If you want to know what exactly happened I suggest you go to Fairy Tail. I'm sure that's all they will be talking about for some time." Rogue listened to the lion growl before he gave him an angry scowl while forcing his own gate closed.

 _What a nuisance_.

Rogue moved further into the apartment, making sure to kick off his boots before fully entering. He was beat as well; the drama from Natsu and the sleepless night had him exhausted. Would it be too much to ask to take a small nap while waiting for Lucy to wake up as well?

The man looked around the apartment. Lucy seemed to be stable now and he just didn't feel right leaving Frosch at Fairy Tail while he slept. He honestly hadn't expected Lucy to pass out so fast, he had expected her to put up a fight or something.

_I wonder if I could go get Frosch real quick._

The dark haired mage sighed while he listened to the steady rhythm of the sleeping woman's heartbeat. He found himself wondering just exactly what type of dream she would have this time and if it would involve either him or his future self.

"What am I going to do with you, Lucy?" Rogue sat on the edge of the bed while he absentmindedly stroked the blonde's silky tresses away from her face as he leaned back against the wall.

"I hope you gave Natsu hell." He chuckled as he let his eyes slide close while he left his fingers tangled in her blonde locks.

* * *

Levy listened to the quiet guild as it slowly started to come back to life after the exit of both Lucy and Rogue.

"Did you see the way Lucy kicked flame brain's ass!? Ha! He deserved it." The solid script mage watched as a half-naked Gray teased the still sore and aching fire dragon slayer, who was being treated by none other than Wendy. The younger slayer tended to his various scrapes and bruises while giggling at his grumbling. Levy didn't have a doubt that his pride was hurt from the beating he had received from the usual bubbly blonde.

"I agree, Natsu received his punishment, so justice was rightfully served. A man should know better than to talk about a woman's private life so frivolously." The bluenette didn't miss the hard glare Erza sent the fire mage.

Levy suppressed a giggle of her own as she watched Natsu quake from the intensity of the redhead's gaze before she turned to sit at the bar. She could have sworn she saw a tear in the requip mage's eye before the woman let out a breathy 'I'm so proud of her.'

Yep, that was definitely Erza. Of course, she would be proud of her 'little sister' for putting the hurtin' on the fire dragon slayer.

"My, my so I wonder if it is true. Is our sweet little celestial mage really Rogue's mate?" Levy felt her body freeze when Mira's voice reached her and of course, leave it to the take over mage to wonder about the dirty details.

Though of course, Levy couldn't blame the snowy-haired barmaid; Natsu did throw it all out there for everyone to hear and even though he got it completely twisted, there was still some truth in his words. In technical terms, Lucy is, in fact, a mate of a shadow dragon slayer but it hadn't been completed by one; at least not from what she was aware of.

"Now, now Mira, it isn't right to gossip about Lucy's love life. No matter how interesting it may be. Natsu got a lot of things twisted." The solid script mage let the words slip from her mouth and instantly regretted it. She hadn't meant to lead on that she knew the whole story but it was too late. She was surrounded by a horde of Fairy Tail mages, both male and female.

"Do you know something we don't know, Levy? I bet Lucy's been tapping that shadow boy's fine ass all this time. Way to go Lucy, you sexy little vixen!" Levy facepalmed while a drunken Cana slung her arm over her shoulder while raising the half-empty beer bottle up in the air before she hiccupped and slumped into a chair. The brunette gave the bluenette a smirk and a wink as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"All I know is that Lucy sure could have rivaled both Mira and Erza with all that crazy magic. I can't believe all of that came from Lucy, she was terrifying." Levy silently thanked Lisanna as she brought the conversation away from Lucy's personal life.

The solid script mage would definitely agree with the youngest Strauss sibling, though it hadn't been her first time seeing her friend in such a terrifying state, it was her first time seeing her release that much magical power. Something had changed since she visited all those weeks ago and she was itching to find out just exactly what it was.

_Lucy seemed more in control than she was last time, hell she was even using the magic as her own… so what happened?_

"Miss Fairy? Are Rogue and Lucy going to be okay?" The bluenette looked down to see the adorable pink frog suit-clad exceed. Levy bent down to pick the little cat up, he looked extremely sad and unsure of what was going on.

"Well, hello Frosch! Don't worry, everything will be okay. In fact, I'll take you back to Lucy's apartment here in a little bit so why don't you just play with the other exceeds and I'll come get you before it's time to go." Levy watched the small green cat as his eyes widened and he let a smile cross his feline face before he thanked her then flew off to the table that housed the other exceeds.

"Oh! Frosch is still here. I'm sure he will tell us what is going on between Lucy and the mysterious Saber!" The solid script mage sweat dropped when Mira held up a small fish while smiling innocently as it dangled from her manicured fingertips.

To think that she would stoop so low as to bribe the shadow dragon slayer's companion was mortifying. Levy grabbed the fish from the white-haired wizard, making her frown.

She noticed Mira was about to express her disappointment but the take over mage was cut off when the bright golden hues of a celestial gate opening temporarily blinded them all. Levy observed as Loke stepped out from his gate, a grimace evident on his face.

"Someone, please tell me exactly what happened to Lucy when she was here." The bluenette watched as Gray walked over to the spirit before putting a hand on his shoulder while smirking from ear to ear. Levy could tell the ice-make mage would hold this over Natsu's head for the rest of his life.

"Oh man, Loke! Why weren't you here? You should have seen Lucy wipe the floor with the fire-ass over there. She fucked him up, man!" The lion shrugged Gray's hand off his shoulder before he took a step closer to the fire mage.

"And just what did you do to set her off, Natsu?" Gray backed away while Natsu stuck a pinky into his ear while turning the other way as if he didn't hear the spirit. Levy sighed, why the guy wouldn't just learn to listen was beyond her.

"Eh, I don't really know why she got all crazy. All I did was try to save her from the tiger. If you ask me, that lady with him wasn't even Luce." Levy noticed the way Loke grit his teeth, obviously, he was completely seething by Natsu's careless responses. Levy decided to step up, tapping the spirit on the shoulder. This earned a glance back at her while he still tried to remain calm.

"I can tell you what happened. I was going to take Frosch back to Lucy's. Would you like to walk with me?" Levy was relieved when the spirit visibly relaxed as he faced her before he sent the fire mage one last death glare from over his shoulder.

If she was being honest, Levy wouldn't have minded watching Natsu get pummeled to the ground by Loke; but she didn't think the guild would survive yet another fight.  _Especially if everyone decided to join in on that brawl._

Levy led Loke over to the table where the exceeds were all sitting, making sure to say goodbye to Pantherlily before scooping the green exceed up into her arms. She was about to turn but was stopped when a hand gripped her shoulder.

"I'm going with you, Shrimp. I have a few things I want to talk about with my _brother._ " Levy turned to give the iron dragon slayer a hard stare, trying to deduce if he wanted to start a fight or not. But when she didn't see any heat in his eyes, only a small sliver of concern she nodded slowly before turning back to an impatiently waiting Loke.

The walk to Lucy's apartment had been uneventful for the most part. Levy had made sure to tell Loke everything that happened from the moment Lucy entered the guild, till Rogue stole her way to take her somewhere else. Levy was glad to hear that the shadow mage had ended up taking her back to her apartment, she would like to have a chat with the blonde now that she was snapped out of her, what Levy would like to call it, Shadow form.

"So you are telling me the damn idiot thought that Rogue had mated Lucy because he couldn't smell her 'innocence' anymore and she smelled just like him? Dragon slayers are officially insane. No offense to you, of course." Levy listened quietly as the lion spirit and iron mage conversed. When Loke couldn't wrap his head around the idea of why Natsu automatically blamed Rogue; Gajeel had decided to try to the best of his abilities to explain just how easy it would have been for dragon slayer's to make that mistake in the first place.

Needless to say, Levy didn't even know that dragon slayers could pick up on such an acute difference, either.

"If the shrimp didn't tell me what happened to bunny girl, I would have assumed the same damn thing." The admission made Levy stop. That only raised questions for her, and who better to ask than a slayer.

"So, it really does look, smell and feel like Lucy is Rogue's mate?" She had remained silent while she walked just behind the two taller males that she actually giggled at the way Loke jumped when she decided to speak up. He must have forgotten she was even there. Thank goodness Frosch had fallen asleep for this conversation, she was learning so much, she just wanted to soak it all in.

"Yes, and no. The shadows she was using today remind me of that Rogue that came from the future. While it's almost identical, there's a slight difference. Almost as if she has two mates." The mages had finally arrived onto Strawberry Street, and though Levy still had so many questions filtering through her mind, she decided to leave it at that for now.

_So, the mating wasn't complete with either. Meaning she still has both's magic. So if Lucy was to actually mate with the present Rogue, would that mean that the future Rogue's magic would disappear, or change because Rogue's future would start to be re-written?"_

The little blue-haired mage was so deep in thought that she didn't notice the surroundings as they passed by apartments and houses, until she bumped into Gajeel who gave a gruff grunt from the small impact.  _They couldn't already be at Lucy's!? She still had so many things running through her mind and she felt like she almost had a lead on how to fix Lucy!_

"Ladies first, Levy." Loke bowed as he gestured for her to lead the way up to her best friend's apartment. She had been here just the other day to clean up the filthy mess that Lucy had left behind in her depression.

The solid script mage had wanted to make Lucy's visit in Magnolia as comfortable and stress-free as possible, so she rounded up Lisanna, Wendy, and Mira to help her tidy the blonde's place while they sent Erza to take care of her rent and landlady. Cleaning the months worth of filth had been a tiring job, but she was glad that the celestial mage could come home to a pristine apartment.

Levy walked up the stair's slowly, taking one step at a time before she came to stand in front of the blonde's door. She knocked once before letting herself in, deciding that maybe they had left. She peeked her head in, and whispered a soft hello, but when no answer came, she decides to open the door wider to let herself in. It wasn't until she was in the small entryway did she hear the soft snoring coming from deeper into the apartment.

Curiosity got the better of the solid script mage so she walked further into the apartment with the two males hot on her tail. Levy looked around, the small comfortable apartment still looked as clean as she had left it. A soft smile spread across the blue haired girl's lips when she looked over at the bed where she believed her best friend to be.

Only then did she realize Rogue was nowhere in sight, and now she knew why.

There on the pink bedspread was a curled up Lucy, peacefully sleeping the afternoon away. Levy wasn't so shocked as to see her best friend sleeping in the afternoon as much as she was the male that was sleeping peacefully next to her. The dark-haired Sabertooth mage had one of his hands tangled in the celestial mage's golden tresses while she rested her head peacefully on his chest.

Levy was awestruck; she had never expected her best friend to be this close to another male, not for years. But for Lucy to get over her fear of this man, this quickly within the time frame she had last seen the blonde. It was a huge accomplishment for her.

The solid script mage didn't care what anyone had to say about the spirit wielder, she knew that Lucy hadn't lost the most important part of herself, and she never would because she had found another reason to keep herself sane. She had found someone to help her through the hard times that were sure to come, but someone that would also be there for the good as well.

Levy walked closer to the sleeping two mages while taking notice of how the blonde's arm had draped across the shadow dragon slayer's torso, making it look like she had tried to bring him closer to her own body, seeking the warmth and comfort that his presence provided.

_Huh, maybe that gossip wasn't so far from the truth after all._

The solid script mage lay the still sleeping green exceed at the end of the bed before she turned to look at the two shocked males.

"Are we just going to leave them like that?" Loke asked with obvious outrage, Levy just ushered him silently to the door, making sure to quietly shut it before finally looking at the spirit once again.

"Yup." With that, the blue-haired woman walked down the steps, being followed by the iron dragon slayer. Only the bright light of gold had been an indication of Loke going to back to the spirit world as they walked silently down to the bottom steps.

"I take it back. She's his mate." Levy was left staring at the spot where Gajeel had been standing moments ago. Once she finally regained her composure, she ran after the iron dragon slayer.

"Wait up! I have so many questions!"


	19. Chapter 19

**WARNING:  Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**This chapter is Beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should go check them out!**

*****AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER! PLEASE READ!*****

* * *

**Chapter 19**

* * *

"So, even you believe that Rogue will eventually make Lucy his mate?"

Levy pointed the spoon that was currently dripping with vanilla ice cream toward the iron dragon slayer before shoving it into her mouth; a determined look crossing over her feminine features.

The petite solid script mage was hell-bent on learning as much as she could about her friend and shadow mage's predicament, especially after watching Rogue practically throttle Fairy Tail's resident fire mage. Levy knew it was wrong for her to feel somewhat satisfied by the beating he received from both the Saber  _and_ Lucy, since Natsu was her friend as well, but the salmon-haired slayer had it coming.

The bluenette had even gone out of her way to warn him not to touch the blonde celestial wizard but the warning had evidently gone unheard by the ill-mannered pyro user. The petite young woman observed as Gajeel grunted before chomping down the block of iron she had conjured up for him.

After they had dropped off Frosch and walked in on one of the most endearing scenes Levy had ever seen her best friend entangled in with the mage of Sabertooth, the little wizard had decided to corner her partner for a much needed Q & A session.

After a lot of pouting and forceful tugs to the unwilling man's long hair, the defeated slayer finally relented to taking her to a local ice cream parlor where he would answer most of her incessant questions- much to the delight of the bluenette.

"Look shrimp, as much as you love talkin' 'bout my brother and bunny girl's sex life, I just don't care. Call it a slayer's intuition, but no real dragon slayer would be able to resist a woman covered in their own scent and magic for too long." Gajeel leaned back in his chair while shoving his arms across his chest, a sign that he had finished the iron and her Q & A session was drawing to a premature close.

If the man wasn't in such an irritable mood, he probably would have found Levy's little happy dance along with the dazzling gaze of her eyes amusing. But he had other things on his mind besides the feisty little shrimp in front of him.

Gajeel had known that the celestial mage's magic had changed over the course of a couple of months, but he hadn't really thought about just what said magic was doing to her in the long run. The iron dragon slayer had assumed that he was the only other mage that was able to utilize the magic of the shadow dragon slayer, but it would appear that he was wrong.

The shadows that the blonde fairy harbored were different from both the shadow mage's and iron mage's. They were stronger, darker and more forceful than both the small amount that he was able to call up as well as Ryos' magic.

In fact, the man had to hand it to the blonde bunny, shadow magic was an art that was close to the borderline of dark magic and it took a strong-willed wizard to handle it without being overtaken by the potential evil that lurked within it.

Gajeel had thought that Lucy was going to lose that exact battle much like how he watched Rogue during the Grand Magic Games, but he was surprised to see that she had been fighting it; even if no one else could tell, he could. The zodiac wielder had not lost and that much was apparent when he had witnessed her sleeping next to his brother.

_Bunny girl is a whole lot stronger then she lets people believe. She's a good match for Ryos._

"Well, I say we go back for a visit in a little bit. Neither of them really know what had happened after Lucy went berserk in the guildhall." The solid script mage smiled while the large male only grunted in response before closing his eyes.

Levy took the opportunity to study the man's features for what would seem like the thousandth time that day. All the rumored talk about her blonde best friend and the Sabertooth wizard had made the petite young woman wonder just what it would be like to be a dragon slayer's mate.

Of course, the bluenette knew that she and Gajeel had some sort of oddball relationship, but it hadn't been pushed to the limits as much as the celestial mage and her Saber.

The iron mage was protective of her and anyone with properly functioning eyes could see that. But he hadn't staked his claim over her yet, which Levy was starting to wonder if the man ever would.

_Maybe he just thought of her more as family and not mate material_.

The short wizard felt rejection form into her heart even though she refused to believe that passing thought. Gajeel just wasn't much for sappy romance like she was at times which made Levy let out a little huff. After all, it's not her fault that she couldn't resist a good romance when it's shoved into her face.

The solid script mage sighed while leaning her elbows on the table, bringing her cheeks to cradle in her open palms. She couldn't help but think that Lucy's life would make an amazing novel. Maybe sometime in the future, Levy could bring up that prospect to the blonde woman. It would be filled with so much emotion and there was no doubt in the bluenette's mind that the book could easily become a best-seller.

"What's with the look shrimp?"

Levy had been so lost in her thoughts while imagining just how her friend could start off her book that she hadn't realized she had still been gazing at Gajeel's face. The petite wizard blushed, realizing just what a love-struck fool she must have looked like to the confused slayer.

"Just daydreaming about nothing in particular. When do you think we should head to Lucy's?" She tried to change the subject without showing just how embarrassed she actually was to be caught with such a fascinated look. The long ebony-haired male smirked while standing from his chair, an amused glint in his crimson eyes.

"I'd say we could leave now. I'm interested in seeing bunny girl's reaction to waking up with Ryos in her bed. Geehee," Gajeel laughed while tossing some jewel on the table to cover both his and Levy's order.

"Gajeel! That's not funny. Lucy is probably going to be traumatized!" She smacked the slayer's arm while she puffed her cheeks out in annoyance. Even though she reprimanded the male, she too wondered just what will happen when the two wizards did, in fact, wake up.

Levy could only hope that Lucy wouldn't hurt the Sabertooth wizard too much. If she could recall correctly, Natsu had complained about the blonde kicking the crap out of him for sneaking into her bed one time after they had got back from a mission late. The celestial mage hadn't taken to him crawling in her bed with her and she made it a mission to show him just how much she had disapproved.

The solid script mage held in a giggle when the memory slipped through her mind. Hopefully, Lucy would be a whole lot kinder when waking up next to her  _unofficial mate._

* * *

Lucy flinched when she felt the bright light of the sun filter through the small spaces of her binds, making her squeeze her eyes closed even tighter as she tried to shut out the unwelcome interruption to her sleep. The blonde let out a small groan while a deep-seated headache started to form just at the back of her head, causing her to curl in on herself from the small pain that coursed through her now awakened mind.

_What happened at the guild and how did she get back to her apartment?_

The celestial mage uncurled herself while she looked over to the window, noticing just how high the sun had risen into the now midday sky. The bright light set off an alarm in the young woman's mind as she wondered just what time it had to be for the sun to shine that way through her window.

Honestly, she couldn't even remember crawling into her bed; in fact, she didn't remember much of anything after a certain fire-breathing slayer had opened his big mouth to spout out nonsense about her personal life.

The blonde squeezed her eyes shut once again while she tried to recall the last of her memories, hoping that a clue would slip into her mind of just how she ended up back in her apartment, and away from the rambunctious guild hall.

Feeling defeated, the fairy frowned. No matter how hard she concentrated her throbbing brain, she just couldn't conjure up any decent memory after hearing Natsu accuse Rogue of claiming her. Lucy kept her eyes closed while she felt a blush rise to her face when she realized the whole guild must think she's slept with the mage of Sabertooth now.

_How perfect. Natsu sure knows how to welcome a girl back home._

The celestial blonde sighed, finally deciding to give up on the pursuit of an explanation for the moment being while resigning her thoughts to the possibility that she must have passed out from emotional overload and Rogue probably had brought her back to the apartment. Lucy could definitely believe that story since she was indeed both humiliated and enraged because of the fire dragon slayer's hurtful and inconsiderate words towards both hers and Rogue's integrity.

In all honesty, Lucy really didn't know what to expect from Natsu but she hadn't really thought that he would go as far as he had. The blonde brought her wrist up to her line of sight while still keeping her head on the bed. She took in the blistered and burned skin where the irate slayer had caught her in his tight and blazing hold.

The celestial mage could still remember the intense heat that had been rolling off of the pyro user's body as he forcefully tried to drag her further into the guildhall and away from Rogue. She also recalled feeling threatening and chilling emotions boil deep within her gut, emotions that the zodiac wielder could have sworn belonged to the shadow mage that had been standing just behind her.

Though she usually had a hard time feeling the man's sentiments through their forced bond, she had been able to feel those raging emotions so clearly.

Lucy let her wrist fall back down to the bed with a soft thump before she let out one more tired sigh. Deciding she would worry about what had happened later, the blonde willed herself to cuddle back into the softness of her mattress. She could find out the details later, right now she was still extremely exhausted for some unknown reason.

Just another question to add to the pile of already unanswered ones that were stewing in her already overloaded brain.

The flustered blonde fairy turned back over, intent on cuddling within her pillow but when she threw her arms around what she thought was her usual pillow, she was met with a foreign hard obstacle covered in cloth; not the softness she was so used to cuddling with when she slept.

Wide honey brown eyes fluttered open as the celestial mage tried to move her body to sit up, only to realize that a strong arm had come to wrap around her waist, pulling her closer to the barrier that blocked her from getting out of the bed.

The woman froze while she finally let her eyes move instead of her body which was still pinned down. All Lucy could analyze was that her face was pressed into a clothed chest while her arm had unconsciously wrapped around the masculine torso when she had been in search of her pillow.

The blonde took a deep breath while she tried to calm her rapidly racing heart while she listened to the slow rhythm of the male's chest as his heartbeat thumped against her forehead. His breathing was steady sending soft puffs of breath to fan just across the top of her hair, making goose bumps rise across her body.

_He's sleeping._

Lucy took another deep breath, catching the familiar scent that belonged to her dark-haired house guest, causing a different type of panic to course through her body when the magic within her started to rise up to the surface due to recognizing her bed partner's identity.

_This is Rogue._

_But why…?_

_Why is he sleeping with me!?_

_Why is he in my bed!?_

_What happened? Why can't I remember anything?_

_Oh dear Mavis, what is going on!?_

While the celestial mage was having an inner conflict within herself, she barely noticed the way the slayer had let his arm tightened around her waist while he slowly drug her in closer to the warmth of his body. Lucy's cheek had come to press fully against his hard chest as he moved to rest his head on the top of her crown.

The blonde let out a feminine squeak when she felt his nose rub into her golden locks as he inhaled her scent. She could feel a small smile form on his face while he nuzzled into her hair. The heat rose even more so to her already blushing face when a deeply satisfied rumble vibrated in his chest causing her to shiver. Her body started to heat up from the simple gesture; she loved the way that sounded.

_Oh god, what should I do!? What should I do? I'm trapped, I can't possibly move without waking him and oh god how awkward that would be._

Lucy glanced down at their almost colliding bodies, taking note that they were still in fact dressed, so nothing probably happened, but that still didn't explain a lot of the questions that were now plaguing her already confused and muddled mind.

The celestial mage tried to push her body back enough to look up at the sleeping slayer, but it would seem every time she tried to move away he would pull her in even closer which was proving to be counterproductive for her.

It wasn't that she was uncomfortable, more of the fact that she was just extremely embarrassed. She was used to hugging Rogue every now and then, but it had never been this intimate and the fact that her body was responding to his unconscious affections made her a little terrified and humiliated.

She didn't need him waking up and smelling her all hot and bothered because he was unconsciously cuddling her.

_What will it take for him to let me go? Haven't I been mortified enough today?_

The blonde tried once more to push her body back just enough to look at the man's face. He looked so at peace that she actually started to feel a little selfish for wanting to get away from his constricting embrace. Lucy would have never taken the shadow mage to be much for cuddling, but it would seem that wasn't the case at all; well at least not by the bear hug the sleeping slayer had trapped her in anyway.

The young woman blushed as she tried to hold in a startled squeal when she felt the arm that had been draped around her waist inch lower until it was resting on her rear, where he promptly groped the firm roundness of her ass before trailing his hand slowly back up to rub against her clothed back. The celestial mage felt her heart pump at an alarming rate while she tried to keep her emotions at bay.

_Did he…_

_Did he just cop a feel on me while he was sleeping!?_

Lucy felt rage bubble within her for a few short moments before it quailed to a much more tolerable level the longer she gazed at the slayer's serene features. The woman knew she should have felt angry with an urge to Lucy kick him into oblivion, but she just couldn't bring herself to move from the position they were nestled within; even if he did just grope her. Maybe it was an influence created from the bond they shared or, in technical terms, she was the shadow dragon slayer's mate.

Hell, maybe it was because of how positively content the slayer looked with a small smile on his sleeping face.

Whatever the reason may have been, Lucy couldn't deny him such tranquility especially after what he had done for her today. She may not have remembered exactly what had happened, but she did know that Rogue had defended her, at least from what she could recall from her broken memory.

The celestial wizard sighed as she looked up at the ceiling. She couldn't help but wonder if maybe the mage of Sabertooth thought of her as more than just someone he was trying to help. Maybe he actually developed feelings for her much like she had for him?

Lucy had been with Rogue every single day for the past month and she could feel that small pull towards the ebony-haired male growing stronger with each day that passed. She had come to notice small quirks about the slayer and the more she noticed his personality, the more she was presented with a different person than the man that lived within her darkest nightmares.

The celestial mage couldn't deny it, she had come to fall for this man of the shadows and something about the thought of him feeling the same towards her made her heart flutter with hope. She wanted to create something more than what their small bond already had between them and the thought that maybe, just maybe- he feels the same towards her made a small smile form on her face.

All thoughts of kicking the slayer vanished with the new prospect of the two being something more than what they already were just on the horizon.

The blonde, now free from the man's constricting grip, moved to prop her upper body up with her elbow so she could look down at the sleeping shadow mage. Lucy could see his face, the stoic mask he wore in front of others had dissolved into nothingness as she took in his facial structure.

The zodiac wielder realized just how attractive Rogue truly was; even with the scar that cut across the bridge of his nose. Lucy found her free hand moving of its own will as her index finger came to trace the thin scar, then move to nestle in his thick dark locks of hair. The strands easily slipped through her fingers as she felt the magic within her pulse as it urged her forward to keep caressing his dark hair while the shadow mage moved in closer in search of her gentle touch.

A smile graced her lips as she continued to explore the male's dark hair, a faded memory coming to her the more she slipped her fingers through the fine strands. Rogue had been the one to sever Natsu's burning hold on her wrist. Even though she had been in a state of shock she could still remember the intense emotion that had emitted from the Saber's body.

The celestial mage had been so overwhelmed by his display of seething rage and the fear of Natsu or anyone else getting too close to her, she must have passed out. That's the only thing she could come up with.

A sigh escaped Lucy's lips while she continued her gentle strokes in the ebony locks. Rogue had saved her once again.

A deep approving groan slipped from the male's lips much to the blonde's shock when her hand wandered from his hair to his face, letting her gentle and hesitant touch linger over the lines of his jaw and then to caress the bottom lip of his parted mouth.

Lucy would have never been this bold if the slayer was awake, but seeing him so innocently curled up against her made the blonde curious as she leaned down to press her lips to his partially covered temple. His ebony strands of hair tickled her nose as she inhaled his unique scent. Something about the gesture just felt right, much like when he did it to her.

The magic within her rumbled in her gut when she felt strong arms wrap around her body once again, pulling the smaller mage down into his chest while heat ignited a crimson blush to spread over the blonde's shocked expression.

* * *

_He was in heaven._

At least, that's what the Sabertooth mage believed when he felt the golden-haired angel above him slip her fingers into his ebony locks, massaging his scalp and creating delicious friction within his body as it slowly came back to life.

The shadow dragon slayer kept his eyes shut while he let Lucy explore his features, her soft and gentle touches ripping a throaty groan of approval from his lips as he tried to keep from pouncing on the unsuspecting blonde.

The shadows within her called to him, rousing him from his much-needed sleep while her hands continued their journey across his features; causing her emotions to pour into his heart, filling him to the point of insanity. He could feel her sentiments as if they pooled deep within his own body.

All her desires, directed towards him while he could also feel her affectionate gaze on his calm face. Rogue tried to keep up the facade of his feigned sleep but it was becoming increasingly difficult the more her emotions heightened as he started to smell her growing arousal _._

The arousal that had been indirectly caused by him.

God, would this woman ever know what she does to him? How much he yearned to sink his teeth into her flesh and taste her? Her scent, the one that he had come to know and the one that had been filled with his own, bombarded his nostrils when she leaned in closer to him.

Her blonde hair swept across his face when he felt her nuzzle her nose into his dark hair, making him lose track of his thoughts. He kept from letting out yet another lust filled growl as she openly expressed her own pleasure of his scent with a content sigh.

Something about his unofficial mate accepting his scent and finding comfort in it made the slayer want to officially claim her as his instead of leaving them both in this mating limbo that both he and his future counterpart had created between the young fairy.

Rogue brought his arms back around the blonde, wrapping her up in an embrace as he tightened his hold on her. He didn't miss her surprised and shocked squeal when he brought his lips down to the pale skin of her neck, leaving small open-mouthed kisses on the smooth flesh. Her arousal alongside her lust filled emotions had become too much for the man to handle.

" _Lucy_ …"

He hadn't meant for her name to come out so husky and full of need, but he couldn't stop himself as he sat up, dragging the poor bashful woman into his lap. The Sabertooth mage's mind was still a little hazy from the short nap and lack of sleep, but he knew for a fact that he had been waiting for this moment for some time and wasn't about to let it slip right through his grasp.

Her emotions left her an open book for him and he could tell she felt the same about him as he did about her.

"Do you know how long I have wanted to hold you? To feel your body pressed into mine?" He brought his lips to the outer shell of her ear, letting his breath tickle the sensitive skin before tugging on it with a sharp fang.

The slayer smirked when a soft moan escaped the panting and blushing blonde. He could smell her arousal grow from the simple ministration, making him sniff the air in delight. She smelled just as good as she did last night, only unlike last night he was not going to hold himself back; unless of course, Lucy wanted him to.

"Do you know the torture you put me through last night? I couldn't sleep. All I could think about was climbing into your bed and showing you that your wildest dreams aren't anything compared to reality." Rogue felt a shiver slip down the celestial blonde's spine as he rubbed circles into the exposed flesh of her arms, where his slayer markings stood out against her smooth pale skin.

A groan slipped passed his lips as he watched the woman try to release some of the building pressure between her thighs by rubbing them together- which only succeeded in making her arousal shift even heavier through the air.

_What I would give to have those creamy thighs wrapped around my body, my gods she is so gorgeous._

" _R-Rogue…_ "

His name came out in a low whimper while he slipped his hands down to rub across the waistband of her skirt. His shadows begged to be released to mingle with her, to slip across her body and claim her as much as he did; the man didn't want to try and stop the magic as it leaked out of his body slowly.

"Tell me to stop Lucy and I'll do it." Though he wanted nothing more than to kiss the dazed blonde, he knew that she had gone through sexual trauma in the not so distant past and he didn't want Lucy to feel like she was being pressured or forced into doing anything with him.

He wanted her full permission before he took anything further with the fragile fairy.

_You're just too alluring… my magic, my body, my mind, every part of me wants you._

_Please accept me._

Rogue watch as the fog lifted from the celestial mage's eyes before she brought her hands back up to curl into his shoulder-length hair while she started to lean in towards him. A new found hope blossomed within his chest as he leaned in to meet her halfway but was caught off guard when he heard a small yawn come from the end of the bed.

The shadow mage barely had time to stop himself before a tired looking Frosch popped his head up from the covers. Rogue immediately removed his hands from the woman's body, all hope pushed aside as he stared dumbstruck at his little companion.

"Fr-Frosch, I thought you were at Fairy Tail's guild hall. How did you get back here?"

He quickly removed himself from the dazed blonde then the bed completely before the little green exceed could analyze the situation. It wasn't that the slayer was not glad to see Frosch had made it back without a problem, more of the fact that he had been trying to lay claim on the celestial mage while the feline was in the same room.

"Levy and Gajeel brought Fro back!"

Rogue's face paled slightly while Frosch jumped from the bed happily as if nothing had been happening between he and Lucy just a few moments ago.

_Did Gajeel and Levy see Lucy and himself sleeping together on the bed_?

He could understand Levy coming to check on Lucy, but why had the iron dragon slayer come as well?

"Umm… I'm going to go to the bathroom," The blonde's small voice made the shadow mage jump while he turned to look back at her and tried to grab her arm before she could slip past him, but it was too late. Lucy didn't even wait for his response before she bolted for the bathroom in a mad dash. Rogue sighed as he felt her confusion, embarrassment, and desire through their bond.

At least now he knew she did, in fact, want him as much as he wanted her.

_Maybe I will be able to officially claim her as my mate?_

Of course, he didn't want to push himself on her, seeing as how she had a bad history with sexual experiences. But, he wanted to be the one to erase those horrible memories and show her that he could make her feel things she never thought possible. He wanted to make her explode with pleasure while saying his name in ecstasy, something he had never even thought about before she had come into his life.

A few months ago, the shadow mage wouldn't have even had bat an eyelash if someone said he would find his mate this year. Now, he wanted nothing more than to claim the blonde that was already bonded to him. He wanted her to be his exclusively and he wanted to stop all the harmful pain that had been forced upon her.

It was fascinating how things could change in such a short amount of time.

* * *

_Calm down, Lucy. Get a hold of yourself._

The flustered blonde paced around her small bathroom in an attempt to calm her rapidly racing thoughts. How long had Rogue been awake while she played with his hair? Did he feel her starting to get hot and bothered the more she touched him? Oh, Mavis, why was she such a train wreck?

Though she was extremely thrilled to see that the man shared the same interest in her as she did for him, she still had lingering doubts in her mind.

Why would such a strong and eligible slayer be interested in a used toy like her? In her eyes, she was still filthy and defiled. So why would someone as magnificent as Rogue be interested in a mess like her? The blonde knew she could trust the Saber… but when it came down to it, was she really good enough for him?

Lucy grimaced, Rogue's handsome and could have any woman he desired. She just couldn't wrap her brain around a single reason as to why he would even be interested in her in the first place. Lucy had basically ruined his life; she had herself believing that she was just someone that he felt obligated to help because of the circumstances she was in and he was just nice enough to try and help.

In all honesty, the zodiac wielder is nothing more than a parasite in his life.

The blonde leaned against the wall as she felt her emotions well up within her eyes. It's not like she wanted to cry, but the thought of Rogue rejecting her because of what had happened to her just a short time ago made her chest ache with desolation.

She yearned to be pure and to regain the innocence that was stolen from her. Lucy wanted so much to have the right to long for the slayer as much as she did, but truth be told, she had nothing to offer the resilient male. Maybe if she was still the woman she'd been back before the grand magic games she would have a chance with the man.

But now?

_She was just someone else's broken toy._

The celestial wizard clenched her fist before bringing them to her eyes. She hadn't believed in her wildest dreams she would have had to deal with this kind of grief for a long while. In fact, she'd expected to push every male she ever knew away from her and in a way, she did.

But despite her fear, Rogue stayed by her side. The most unlikely person to worm his way into her broken and shattered heart had finally shown interest in her as a woman and she had nothing of herself give.

Every first intimate touch had been taken from her. Every special moment she wanted to share with a first love had been stolen.

So she had not a clue as to why he would want someone as defiled as her.

_I want to be good enough… but I'm also so afraid. Mavis, what do I do?_

Lucy brought her hand to her chest, twisting her fingers into the fabric of her top. Since when did she come to desire the shadow mage this much? His magic pulsed through her and his very being had become an anchor to keep her grounded.

Can she really stand there and say that she isn't already his?

Her entire body looked like it had been forged from the magic he wields. The zodiac key holder brought her gaze down to stare at the black markings decorating her skin, the blonde wondered why they didn't go away like the shadow dragon slayers did.

_What would happen to me if I just accepted his magic? I have been trying to tamper it down for so long, but what if I learn to control, rather than fear it?_

The blonde was startled out of her thoughts when a soft knock tapped at the bathroom door. Immediately her hands went to rub at her eyes before she smoothed her clothes down against herself.

"Lucy, are you okay?"

Even his concerned voice sent jolts of electricity throughout her body.

_If only she felt like she was good enough for him._

_If only she didn't feel so soiled_.

The celestial mage took one last sideways glance in the mirror before she unlocked and opened the door, only to be met with a flying ball of pink and green before the air was pushed out of her lungs by Frosch colliding within her chest.

"Lucy! Fro was worried. Why did you leave so suddenly?" She snuggled the little exceed into her body, using his outburst as a distraction while she moved her gaze anywhere but on the dragon slayer that was standing in front of her. The blonde knew she couldn't hide how she felt from him and she didn't feel the need to. The embarrassment and worry of falling too short of his expectations were something that he could undoubtedly feel through their odd connection and she refused to make eye contact with his burning gaze.

"I'm sorry Fro, I just needed to do something. So, you say Levy brought you back to the apartment? I can't remember exactly how I even ended up back here honestly." Though the celestial mage still refused to look at the quiet Saber, she found herself wanting to ask him just what had happened at the guild and how she ended up in her bed curled up next to his sleeping body.

The last thought made her blush, she had been sleeping with this handsome man and she didn't even know how they ended up there in the first place.

"Everyone tried to stay away from you and your power scared Fro." Lucy relented, she finally looked up to give the ebony haired slayer a perplexed look, only to be met with lust filled ruby eyes. The blonde automatically regretted her small glance up at the Sabertooth mage since it was obvious to her that he hadn't yet fully recovered from their situation earlier.

She could feel his feral gaze linger across the length of her semi-exposed body, making her feel like she was his prey. Lucy stepped back, almost as if she was going to close herself in the bathroom once again, but the male was faster. He towered over her much smaller form while he kept the door from slamming shut.

A small squeak left Frosch before he flew out of the woman's arms to sit on the couch, leaning over it to watch while his dark-haired partner cornered the crimson-faced blonde. The little exceed must have known not to get in the way of his dragon slayer companion and his prize.

The zodiac wielder felt her knees buckle when his hot breath tickled her cheek all while he pushed her into the confines of the bathroom, making sure to lock the door behind him. His predatory gaze had the hair on the back of her neck standing on end while goosebumps rose on her exposed skin.

The shadows threatened to slip right out of his grasp when he felt Lucy's despicable emotions that were directed towards none other than herself. Rogue couldn't help himself, he let his instincts take hold of his conscious mind.

He could feel her self-loathing and lamenting and he wanted the blonde to realize just how much he  _hated_  those emotions directed towards herself. Not only his instincts- but his very magic- wanted to show her just how much she was truly worthy of him.

In fact, the shadow mage felt like he wasn't worthy of someone of her caliber yet here she was secretly desiring him. How had he been such a fool to let it go unnoticed for this long?

" _Lucy…_ "

In all honesty, the ebony haired slayer didn't know what was coming over him and where he had received all this confidence as he slowly pushed her into the counter, using his own body to pin her to the cool tile so she couldn't escape his grasp. It most likely had to do with the dragon instincts he had inherited along with his magic.

The Sabertooth mage could feel her excitement burst through her when he bent his head down to whisper in her ear.

"Let me elevate a few of your doubts." He felt the blonde shivered against his body when his breath caressed her sensitive lobe, a harsh intake of breath could be heard while she tried to keep her breathing even while he tugged on the sensitive skin with his teeth once again before trailing hot kisses down her neck.

"I've been having such a hard time controlling myself around you, not because I'm trying to keep my shadows at bay, but because I have started to  _crave you."_ The man didn't know how to put it in lighter terms, he had been around the celestial mage every day for so long now and the more he let his guard down around her, the more his dragon instincts tried to take over to claim her officially as his own mate.

"I want you in ways that I have never desired before. In ways I never thought would be possible for a man such as myself." He felt her knees give out as he rubbed slow soft circles on her back while he nuzzled the crook of her neck with his nose.

The male driven solely by his dragon slayer impulse slowly lifted the blonde's body to where her rear was sitting on the counter; the fairy blushed while she let her hands reclaim their place in his ebony locks of hair once again.

It would seem she wasn't able to get anything out besides strangled mewls and lengthy pants, but that was quite alright with him. Her emotions and the growing lingering scent of her arousal told him everything he needed to know as he slipped his hips into the gap between her unconsciously spread thighs.

" _Rogue…"_

The mage of shadows brought one of his fingers up to press firmly against her quivering lips, a sign to tell her that he was not yet finished.

"When I saw Natsu grab you, something within me had been set free. Something that I've tried to hold in for a very, very long time. I had an overpowering desire to not only kill the pink haired idiot, but to also stake my official claim over you. To mark you and make you mine, so no other male would ever dare touch you again."Rogue let his hands drop to her exposed thighs while he felt both her arousal and apprehension through the bond they shared.

The traces of her sweet feminine nectar wafted through the small bathroom, her excitement serving as the only encouragement for him to continue on.

"I will never hurt you in the ways you were in the past, that's not my intention. I want you to know that I don't have it in me to hurt you, Lucy." The slayer brought his hands up when he leaned away from the celestial mage, making sure that he could see her eyes as he cupped her face within his calloused palms.

"I only wish to protect you from the pain you've been through and the pain you've yet to endure. Will you let me stay by your side, even though I don't deserve to?"

Rogue let his thumb stroke her cheek right below her wide brown orb while he tried the best that he could to convey all of the emotions that he had been holding back through their bond. He wanted her to feel all the desire and the longing that he had tried to keep at hidden since he first started to feel something more for the blonde sitting in front of him.

Her hands moved from his hair to wrap around his neck while her beautiful honey-brown eyes locked him into her tearful gaze. At that moment he could feel each of their own emotions swimming throughout their connection as the pull to one another drew them closer, the shadow magic within each of the mages' slowly seeping out to mingle with the other when their lips finally collided for the first time.

Lucy could feel the shadow magic when it poured out of her to mix with the slayer's while it swirled around their bodies to cocoon them into their own little space, making the bathroom barely visible as the dark alluring magic danced around them. The young woman found herself clinging to the male when he slowly removed his lips from hers. It was such a simple and gentle kiss, but it spoke louder than any words either mage could think to say in that moment.

The fairy found herself gasping for air as soon as their lips parted; it was almost as if the wielder of shadows had stolen her breath within the few short moments of the endearing kiss.

Lucy had been a little apprehensive at first, considering how horrible her 'first kiss' had been not so long ago, but Rogue had effectively erased that horrid memory in favor of creating a new beautiful one for her to cherish in its place.

Even though the slayer may not have been her first kiss, he would definitely be the most memorable. Lucy felt their magic's slip alongside one another, feeding into the overgrowing bond that the two wizards shared.

The blonde watched in a haze of awe and desire as the crimson irises of the shadow dragon slayer locked onto her brown orbs before he slowly dipped his head to graze his sharp canines down the length of her pale neck, only to stop at the juncture of her shoulder. Lucy found herself moving her head to the side while she reveled in the feel of his hands as they roamed down her stomach to settle on her trembling thighs.

"I wish you could see how beautiful you look right now." She felt his hot breath as it clung to the skin of her shoulder where he was peppering sweet kisses, all while he gently squeezed the soft skin just on the inside of her thighs. A pool of pure heat had formed low in her belly with every smooth stroke and soft kiss he gave her, fueling the burning fire that was growing with every small touch he offered her.

It wasn't until Rogue shifted between her spread legs that Lucy felt the rock hard length that had started to dig into the inside of her left thigh, causing a deep scarlet blush to bloom over her already heated face when she realized just what that hard body part was. It would seem the shadow mage was just as aroused as she was.

"Rogue… I can feel it," The blonde didn't want to say she was still scared and nervous, but she truly was. It wasn't something she could help and even though she had a burning desire to sate the lust she felt toward the handsome man standing between her thighs, she just didn't know if she could bring herself to physically satisfy the both of them just yet.

She didn't know if she was ready, she could still remember the agony she had gone through when that horrid man had ripped away her virginity, the phantom pain of the memory seemed to be enough for her to flinch when she felt another gentle squeeze from the inside of her thigh.

Lucy wasn't sure if she could handle that type of hurt being dealt to her by someone she actually cared about.

The blonde felt like crying, she really was just someone else's broken toy.

As if sensing her discomfort, the ebony-haired male moved back away from her, in turn, the shadow magic slowing receded to where the mages' could make out the walls of Lucy's bathroom once again. She panicked when the sudden need to reach and pull the slayer back close to her slipped into her already frantically beating heart.

"I will never force you into something you aren't ready for, Lucy."

The zodiac wielder laced her fingers with his before bringing the back of his hand up to kiss it softly. Though she really did want to show this sweet, caring and understanding man just how much she desires him, her emotions were conflicted; the scars of her mistreat holding her back.

"I want to. I've had dreams of us, but not even those can compare to the real thing. I'm just afraid Rogue. I don't want to feel the pain I felt when…" Lucy let her words die in her throat while her confession hung thick within the air. That stupid bandit had stolen everything from her.

The celestial wizard heard a soft purr only to look up to see the male moving in closer to her, causing Lucy's face to flush from the proximity as he gave her a half-lidded look; placing his lips softly over hers in a tender kiss before then moving to whisper in her ear.

"What if I could show you that there is more enjoyment to be had than there ever is pain?" The fairy felt a shiver jolt down her spine as his words caused the coiling sensation to form once again in her gut while the burning desire returned with renewed vigor.

Who knew the soft quiet shadow dragon slayer could be  _so very sexy._

At this moment, the way he towered over her like she was his prey and the feral gleam within those crimson irises, she had the passing thought that he looked exactly like she imagined a dragon slayer to look while in heat.

Maybe that was practically because he was letting his instincts take over, his eyes were glazed as if he was just as lust-driven as she was, causing Lucy to squeak when she felt one of his hands move to the back of her neck to pull her in closer to him.

"W-What do you mean?" The blonde could hardly get the words out before she felt his free hand ghost up her leg to sit right at the apex of her thigh and heated core. Lucy felt like she was about to have an anxiety attack but was swiftly brought back when the dark haired mage nuzzled her nose with his own while letting soft purrs rumble within his chest as he tried to soothe her conflicted emotions.

"You can tell me to stop, and I will, but will you please allow me to try something first? I want you to understand that not all sexual encounters are like what you have experienced." The blonde just loved how the ebony haired slayer was always so considerate of her and asked for her permission. She knew she could trust him from that alone.

So with a thick swallow and a slow nod, she felt herself being pressed even further up onto the counter until her back was flush against the wall. The Saber made sure to keep his face close to hers while he slipped his hand into her drenched panties from the side opening, Lucy instinctually jumped from the contact of his fingers when they slowly moved along her moistened lower lips, causing a small groan to tumble from her opened mouth. Rogue cautiously gauged both her reaction and emotions to be sure he wasn't frightening her.

The woman unknowingly spread her legs open wider earning a groan of approval to slip from the slayer's lips as she became accustomed to his slow, lazy movements against her slick womanhood.

It wasn't until he moved his ministrations a little higher that Lucy gasped out a lengthy mewl of pure pleasure when his thumb pressed lightly against the small bundle of nerves just above her slightly parted lower lips. The blonde let out a staggered breath while the male drew small languid circles around her clitoris while using both his index and middle finger to rub along her folds gently.

"That's right, relax and let me handle everything, Lucy. I want to show you how you deserve to be treated." The celestial mage shivered as his breath hit the sensitive skin of her ear before he peppered small kisses along the column of her neck.

Lucy had never felt such intense pleasure before and now she found herself wondering if maybe all the talk she had heard from Mira and Cana and a few of the other women at the guild hadn't been so wrong after all.

When she had her run in with the bandit, he had been forceful and merciless as he took her against her will, she couldn't believe that any woman would have ever found sex pleasurable after that.

But now with Rogue, the fairy didn't feel as nervous or afraid as she once did. Maybe intimacy wasn't so bad if she were with someone who actually cared about her? Someone that didn't just take to sate their own lustful desires, but actually took care of her own as well?

Lucy let her head fall back against the wall when the shadow mage quickened his pace, a soft growl slipping from his parted lips while she watched him move back to sniff the air as yet another feral look crossed his features.

The celestial mage felt panic rise when she saw the man drop to his knees before pulling her hips with his free hand to the edge of the counter, causing Lucy to let out a small squeal by how quickly he reacted.

She felt a bright red blush spread across her cheeks as the blonde watched Rogue move her panties over to the side so he could stare at her intimate parts while he leaned in close to inhale her fresh arousal. Lucy had tried to shut her legs out of instinct when she first felt cool air ghost over her womanhood, but she found that hard to do when the slayer had grabbed one of her knees with his free hand in an attempt to keep her from blocking his full view of her entrance.

A part of the blonde still wanted to slam her legs closed while another side wanted to pull him closer to that sweet spot between her legs when she felt his warm breath spread over the sensitive flesh.

"Ro-Rogue, I don't think yo—"

But she never got to finish her sentence. She was cut off by his low groan before a small yelp was ripped from her already parted lips. The blonde threw her head back while her half-lidded eyes watched in rapture as Rogue slid his slick tongue up and down her wet folds before he moved up to suckle lightly on the already sensitive bud. The celestial mage was a mess of moans as she felt the man move his fingers once again to poke and prod at her swollen outer lips before forcing one of his digits into her tight passage.

Lucy didn't even care anymore as the beautiful swipes of the male's tongue erased all of the discomforts of the finger that was now gently rocking within her body.

The blonde found her hands grasping at the long ebony stands of his hair while he moved both his wet muscle and fingers in harmony causing her body to quake from the intense sensations that were racking her slender form. She didn't know what had come over her but she knew that she was getting closer to the end when she felt her inner muscles convulse and clamp down on his finger, while he continued to pump the slick digit within her tight heat.

" _Mmm… Rogue… I think I'm going to…"_  Lucy let out a pleasure induced cry while Rogue gave her pearl one last hard suck before curling his finger deep within her as her muscles clamped down tightly on the single digit.

He removed his hand from her before moving his mouth over to her quivering entrance. The Saber made sure to lap up every drop of her essence as it seeped slowly out of her dripping core. The girl watched in a fog as Rogue looked up at her while giving her one final long and slow stroke of his tongue before he moved her panties back over her now dewy womanhood. The blonde's eyes followed the male as he stood while licking his lips as if he had enjoyed a gourmet meal.

"Hopefully, I was able to get my point across." Lucy tried to set herself up when the attractive slayer pinned his beautiful crimson eyes on her still flushed face. She could see a small smirk curve at the edge of his lips before he leaned in once again to whisper in her ear.

"Or would you like me to demonstrate one more time? I wouldn't mind. After all,  _you taste positively divine, Lucy._ "

The zodiac wielder sputtered as she tried to smack the devious male but could only look down while she tried to keep herself from smiling as well. She'd never been touched like  _that_  before and it would seem she did have a few firsts she could share with the shadow dragon slayer after all.

That thought made her happier than the man would ever know.

Rogue helped the blushing blonde from the counter, keeping an arm around her waist because neither she or he trusted the blonde's legs to keep her fully supported, which the slayer seemed to find fairly amusing as she tried to walk on her wobbling legs.

Lucy could only imagine her poor attempt at walking must look something similar to the way Plue waddled around. The blonde didn't think to try to hide the blush or blissful look that slipped onto her feminine features while she walked out of the bathroom, a small smile spread across her face as the male held her close to his body.

Lucy was too busy looking up at the slayer with an expression of adoration as both their bodies crossed the threshold into the main room, that she didn't even notice the six pairs of eyes that had been staring at the two as they made their way back into the main room.

In fact, the blonde had been so wrapped up in the Saber's crimson eyes that she didn't notice the way his small smirk turned down into an obvious frown.

It wasn't until she heard the sound of someone clearing their throat that she turned to look at the couch where a shocked bluenette and a more than smug looking iron dragon slayer sat staring at the two mages exiting the bathroom.

Lucy could only stare back at the blushing solid script mage, the look on her friend's face told her that she had heard everything while the two of them had been in the bathroom. The celestial mage was about to speak but was interrupted as she heard someone else coughing, this time, closer to the kitchen.

Lucy whipped her head around only to stare at none other than the white dragon slayer and her fellow celestial spirit mage, both looking from one another to the pair that still stood in the doorway of the bathroom.

The blonde woman found herself slipping her head into her hands as she tried to push the shadow dragon slayer further into the room so she could hide her obvious embarrassment from the two blushing young women and the two smirking slayers, not to mention the two curious exceeds that sat on the back of the couch.

_Why does everyone always insists on showing up to my apartment at the worst times!?_

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**_Thank you all so much for your reviews! They make me so happy. If any of you have any questions for me, feel free to post them in the reviews and I will answer them here, below the chapters. :)_ **

**_I have got a few reviews and even messages about if I plan on continuing Habituation. The answer is YES. It was well received and it looks like people are wanting a new chapter for that soon, so I plan on continuing it._ _It may take some time since when I wrote it was originally just a time passer and I didn't think it would get much attention considering it does have a lot of dark triggers that could disturb people, but a lot of people like it soooooooo yeahh. More will be coming soon. :)_ **

**_**I did just want to give a warning that I will be out of town from this coming Friday until April the 6th to visit family for the holiday. I will update as soon as I get back.**_ **


	20. Chapter 20

**WARNING:  Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**This chapter is Beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should go check them out!**

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**CHAPTER 20**

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"Sting, we have been wondering around Magnolia for at least two hours. I told you we should have just gone to Fairy Tail first, we don't even know where Lucy lives and Rogue still won't answer my calls." Yukino sighed while she turned to watch the blonde guild master sniff the air once again, a faint blush spread across her cheeks as she studied his profile.

Even though he had been the one to initially suggest visiting Lucy and Rogue, Yukino had a suspicion that Sting's suggestion had more to do with the fact that he could feel how much she already missed the other celestial wizard's presence, more than the fact that he was eager to see Rogue again.

It was after the 4th ignored call to the shadow dragon slayer's lacrima that Sting had asked her if she wanted to visit Fairy Tail to check on them.

_This must be like the bond Lucy and Rogue shares…It's odd to think that I now share that same type of connection with Sting. He can feel my emotions, just as I can feel his._

Yukino could feel the burning of the scarlet blush as it dusted her face while she gazed at the slayer that had marked her as his life mate, the feeling bubbling within her all felt so surreal to the female saber. Of course, she had harbored feelings for the young guild master for some time now, but she had never believed in her wildest fantasies that the playboy like blonde would actually mark her as his mate.

Bringing her hands up to lightly pat her face; the silver-haired female tried to rid her head of the flashbacks of her passionate night with the master.

Even though she had tried to rid the thoughts from her mind, it had been no use, the images of that night kept slipping right before her mind's eye.

After they had finally recuperated, Sting had taken the celestial wizard back to his room where he deemed the setting to be more 'romantic' than his office. The blonde male had made special care to make sure her body had been covered with his scent before finally letting her tired body rest.

Yukino had tried, and failed, to slip out of the slayer's bed before he awoke the next morning; only to find that her legs did not want to function properly. Her knees had given out as she fell ungraciously down to the ground with a loud thump.

The sudden noise had been enough to rouse the sleeping male only to find his new mate half naked on his bedroom floor. After Sting had got out a good laugh, he heaved Yukino back onto the bed where he made her stay most of the morning while he tried to sooth her aching body from the night before.

Brown orbs slipped back to the blonde male who had finally caught a trace of whatever he was sniffing for before he set off into a sprint in yet another direction for the 7th time since entering Magnolia.

Rolling her eyes, Yukino's legs ached as they tried to keep a steady pace to keep up with her newly established mate, but found herself taken in by the new surroundings of the lively streets that were home to the Fairy Tail guild.

"Awh, come on, Yuki! I'm sure the all mighty Sting knows exactly where he's going!" Yukino managed a small smiled toward the red exceed, his small white wings fluttering just above her while he flew close.

The little cat and spirit welder saw no need to race after the Sabertooth master; the man had been so sure of his enhanced senses that he didn't even listen to the celestial mage's rants as they raced from one place to another while he tried to pick up his ebony haired partner's scent.

While Yukino had been able to have some time alone with the blonde dragon slayer, she had also been constantly wondering what exactly happened when Lucy finally reunited with her guildmates.

The silver-haired wizard was well aware that the blonde celestial mage was a nervous wreck just at the mention of the fire dragon slayer's name, so Yukino could only hope that nothing extremely horrible happened when the time came for their actual reunion.

Even though their resident dark haired slayer was with the blonde, the silverette couldn't help feeling uneasy that the more her calls went unanswered, the more her wonder morphed into worry- worry that she had no doubt Sting could also feel.

Lucy really had become Yukino's best friend, even like a sister to her, so going from always being around the blonde fairy, to the woman suddenly vanishing- had left a small void in her, even if it had been only a short time.

Of course, she wasn't the only one affected by the trio's sudden departure. Sting had finished all of his paperwork- a complete act of the gods themselves- and Lector missed his play pal, Frosch.

So, while they could have just went on a mission, the new couple and exceed deemed it more important to visit the Fairy Tail guild. Afterall, Sabertooth had endured having so many of the rambunctious fairies visiting their guild for the duration of Lucy's stay, so it was only natural that they return the favor, right?

"Yukino! Would you hurry up? We can have blondie take us sightseeing later; I think I caught a whiff of the metal head and his little woman, so come on!" Sting turned back to look at the celestial mage who was saying a mental pray of thanks while she ran to catch up with the white dragon slayer.

Hopefully, Levy would be able to point them in the right direction to Lucy's home. Yukino was finally able to catch up to the slayer as soon as the two fairies in question rounded a corner on the other side the street, causing dread to well up within the woman at the thought of losing their only chance at finding Lucy's home.

"Levy! Gajeel! W..Wait!" The silver-haired mage hunched over as she put a hand on her knee, she hadn't expected to have to sprint after the Saber mage so fast and she had shorter legs than the man, so it couldn't be helped.

Yukino let out a small squeak when she felt strong arms knock her off her feet as they settled between the bend of her knees before her other half was picked up, causing her body to be cradled against her mate's half-clothed chest. A pink tint lit up her face as the blonde male looked down at her with a grin.

"Geez Yuki, are you  _still_ sore? Seems like you're having a hard time keeping up today." The silver-haired wizard floundered while she tried to form a coherent sentence as the slayer's grin only widened at her guilty expression.

She could feel his amusement through their newly established connection and knew there was no way she could deny his accusations, so she settled for lightly smacking his shoulder while looking away.

Yukino had been bent on giving him the silent treatment for teasing her, but that thought flew right out of the window as soon at the cocky male took off at a fast sprint while rounding the corner the two fairies had just passed. The celestial mage mentally slapped herself when she was forced to cling to the slayer in fear of being dropped from his fast speed.

"Yo, Gajeel! And hello, little miss blue." Yukino watched as the two Fairy Tail members turned, obvious shock and amusement written across the small blue haired solid script mage's face. The iron dragon slayer's expression, however, didn't change as he eyed the Sabertooth guild master before his eyes darted to the female still being manhandled in his arms.

He must have been able to smell the two Sabertooth wizards long before Sting's greeting.

"Congrats." Was the only word the older slayer uttered while a wide smirk split across his already ferocious features. Yukino looked up to see Sting giving the older slayer a thumbs up gesture while a wide grin formed.

There was no doubt in the silverette's mind that the iron dragon slayer could sense that she was now Sting's official mate, a thought that had the silver-haired woman lighting up in another bout of crimson blush.

"Hey, Sting and Yukino! What's brought you two all the way to Magnolia so soon?" The petite blue-haired woman walked up to the celestial mage as Sting put her back down on the ground. Yukino didn't miss the curious gaze that the solid script mage pinned her with as she watched Sting's hand linger a little longer on her waist than necessary.

In the short number of days Levy had spent at Sabertooth, the solid script mage had already received all the details on how Yukino and Sting both seemed to care for one another, so she could only hope that the two finally took the plunge into being something more than friends.

"Hi, Levy! We were coming to visit Fairy Tail for a few days, but first, we wanted to meet up with Rogue and Lucy, but we can't find her apartment." Levy tried to suppress a giggle at the sharp glance the silver-haired woman sent in Sting's direction while the white dragon slayer refused to make eye contact in favor of rubbing the back of his neck with a guilty expression.

Levy couldn't help the small smile that slipped across her lips as she watched the two interact like a married couple.

"Is your nose broken or somethin'? I can smell the bunny's apartment from here." Yukino herself tried to resist the urge to giggle while Sting tried to defend his slayer pride, along with the help of Lector when Gajeel kept throwing jabs at the blonde male's sense of smell.

"I don't remember what Blondie smelled like before, so I was trying to pick up Rogue's, damn it!" Sting huffed while he glared at the iron mage, only to receive an even bigger grin.

"Oh, I guess that would explain why the great Sting couldn't find Lucy's apartment, her scent has changed drastically over a short time to smell like Rogue." Lector defended the blonde once more before letting his wings recede so he could drop down onto the silver-haired wizard's shoulder.

It made sense, after all.

Lucy's home would smell like she did before the grand magic games, and since Sting had never really known Lucy that well, he didn't know her original scent well enough to recognize it- especially if he had been looking for his partner's this whole time.

"Well, we were just on our way back to Lucy's, so we can show you the way." The trio of Saber's gave Levy a thankful smile before they continued walking down the sidewalk that the blonde slayer had been scouting for almost 20 minutes.

A moment of silence consumed the group as they crossed a street to a new sidewalk before Yukino finally decided to try and make small talk.

"Say, Levy, has Lucy visited Fairy Tail yet? I've tried to call Rogue's lacrima to get in contact with them, but they've never answered." The two males fell behind, Gajeel with his hands in his pockets while Sting kept his elbows in the air with his hands on his head. To any spectators, it would look like the two men didn't have a care in the world as the two women in front of them chatted, but that was hardly the case, as both were listening just as much as the celestial mage was.

"Oh yeah, she's been there already and let's just say that Natsu got his ass handed to him by both Rogue  _and_  Lucy. I warned the idiot, but he just didn't listen. I don't think either Lucy or Rogue will remember much of what happened at the guild when they wake up, though. Rogue got knocked out while trying to take a hit from Lucy so it didn't hurt anyone in the guild, and Lucy was… possessed? Well, she wasn't herself, that's for sure. She passed out after Rogue came to, and seemingly snapped her out of it." Yukino looked back at the blonde slayer who blinked back at her with wide eyes. The bond that they now shared could tell that both of the Sabers were curious for more details about exactly what went down at the guild hall, but Levy continued.

"The strange thing is, Loke returned to the guild after Rogue left with Lucy, he was furious because he couldn't feel Lucy during the time that she was using the shadow magic that had been buried within her. He said that it was as if she had died, even though all of their contracts were all still in place. None of her spirits could feel her presence or open a gate anymore. He was really freaked out." Both Yukino and Sting had been so absorbed with Levy's rambling, that they didn't notice they had come to stop in front of a faded red two-story building.

"We'll talk more about it later; that's actually why I came here in the first place, so I could fill in the gaps of their missing memories of what happened earlier this morning. I don't know why the big hunk of metal came along with me, though." The blue haired woman snickered while she shoved a thumb over her shoulder toward the irritated iron dragon slayer.

"I told you that I wanted to talk to Ryos, woman!" Levy giggled once more at the long ebony haired male's outburst; she paid no attention to the angry scowl and grunt he gave her before she skipped forward to open the front door of the building. She was about to gesture for the silver-haired Sabertooth member to go first, but a large hand shoved her forward as the door was taken from her grasp.

"Show 'em the way, shrimp. They've never been here before." The solid script mage puffed her cheeks out at the large male but turned to march up the steps, making sure that the rest of the group wasn't too far behind. Once she had finally reached the next door at the top of the stairs, Levy knocked once, and then a second time.

No answer.

She knocked again and still received no answer. The blue haired solid script mage was about to open the door herself to check and see if the two wizards and exceed were still sleeping, but the door slowly opened to reveal a tired and confused looking Frosch.

"Frosch, I've been so bored without you!" Before Levy could even say anything a red blur zipped past her shoulder and right into the frog suited exceed, knocking them both onto the back of the couch. Not thinking anything of it, Levy walked into the room, closely followed by a curious Yukino.

"Are they even here? Maybe they went back to Fairy Tail?" Yukino surveyed the lifeless room minus Frosch.

No, there was no way that Rogue would leave the little exceed alone while he went somewhere.

So where were they?

Lucy's apartment was the perfect size to accommodate a single person, and it was cozy, but neither the shadow dragon slayer or her fellow celestial mage were anywhere in sight. Yukino glanced over her shoulder from the kitchen, where she had been taking in the small area, only to see the little blue haired female sitting on the couch with a small huff.

"Ohhhhh, shit. Oh hell, we need to go. This place smells like sex, and I can hear everything!" Sting half whispered and half yelled while he stalked over to grab Yukino by the arm, she could feel his emotions while they flooded through her body.

Amusement and  _sympathy_?

"Fro is so happy more friends are here!" Yukino smiled at the little green cat, only to feel her arm being yanked again as Sting tried to drag her out of the kitchen. The silverette pulled her arm out of his hold in an attempt to stop the slayer while she looked back over to see the iron mage plop down on the couch next to Levy, a huge smirk split across his lips.

"Even if we left now, Ryos would be able to smell us, even sense us. Besides, they're almost done now. He and bunny girl are going to walk out of that bathroom any minute now." The silver-haired mage watched as the blonde male beside her deflated while obvious defeat and a small smile curved on his face. Yukino's eyes scanned the room only to have another set of wide brown eyes meet her own.

Just what had they unknowingly walked in on?

A loud feminine mewl echoed out from the bathroom and into the main area where the new occupants were gathered, causing both of the women to gasp when the reality of just what exactly was going on behind that closed bathroom door dawned on them with renewed understanding.

The owner of three of the zodiac keys brought her hands up to cover her mouth while trying to form any type of sentence.

They should definitely leave, she knew how embarrassed she would have been if someone had heard her passionate night with Sting, so she could at the very least try to make a break for the door before the two love-struck mages made their appearance.

Before she could even make a step to move towards the apartment's front door, the soft clicks of a lock met her ears while the turning of the door handle caught her attention.

It was too late.

* * *

Rogue hadn't felt the new familiar presences that had come to situate themselves in various locations through out Lucy's small apartment. If he had, he would have used his shadow magic to slip them out of her apartment so the blonde wouldn't have to deal with the embarrassment that was undoubtedly already coursing not only through her but his own body as well.

The shadow mage reprimanded himself for not keeping up his guard, but it was almost like he had lost all his logical reasoning the more the celestial mage's delectable scent pulled him in. How could he lose focus on his surroundings in such a short amount of time?

The scent that had been purely Lucy had put him in some type of an intoxicated haze, fogging his mind to an almost drunken state while he sought out more of that sweet and flavorful nectar that could only belong to her. He had been completely focused on the celestial goddess in front of him that all sense of his surroundings had faded into a deep abyss to be forgotten.

The shadow mage felt a small push as Lucy buried her hand covered face into his back while she tried to hide her obvious embarrassment from the new guests. The crimson eyed saber's frown deepened when his eyes fell on the face of his blonde guild master, taking in the goofy grin that had spread across the male's face while pulling Yukino closer. It was then that he realized something was different about the silver-haired female's usual scent.

Reluctantly the ebony haired mage removed his eyes from the blonde Saber to gaze at the other Sabertooth wizard. She reeked of his best friend and the usual virginal essence that had once surrounded the brown-eyed woman was nonexistent.

The observation caused the shadow dragon slayer's eyes to visibly widened while the gears in his head matched the pieces together, all thoughts of knocking Sting's wide grin off his face vanishing as the realization punched him right in the gut.

_Sting finally mated Yukino!_

"So, does this mean you came to brag?" Rogue felt a small smirk lift his lips while he raised his visible eyebrow in amusement, he really should have been angry about the fact that his private moment with Lucy had been breached by not only one dragon slayer, but  _two._

However _,_  Rogue just couldn't find the strength to channel the original anger he had felt when he had first walked out into the main room.

Whether it was because the shadow mage was still slightly exhausted, or the fact that watching Yukino desperately tries to swat away the blonde master made him slightly chuckle, the ebony haired slayer couldn't really say.

He did, however, find Yukino's embarrassment extremely amusing.

"He ain't got nothin' to brag about, Ryos. We all heard bunny girl, seems like you aren't too far behind 'em." A tick mark formed on the ebony haired Saber's forehead when he turned to meet with another set of crimson eyes, the iron mage's grin was wide as he adjusted himself deeper into Lucy's loveseat, indicating he didn't plan on leaving anytime soon.

"Stop calling me that. What the hell are you even doing here? In fact, what are all of you doing here?" The shadow mage's eyes drifted from Gajeel back to the blonde who was still hiding silently behind him he couldn't feel any real signs of stress or anxiety from her, so he took the chance to move further into the room.

Embarrassment be damned, so what if he and Lucy had been caught doing intimate things with one another, it wasn't like he forced her and they were both adults, so who cares if they were locked in her bathroom while uninvited guests were listening.

"Umm… Rogue… Don't get us wrong, please. We literally just arrived here along with Levy and Gajeel. The only reason both Levy and I came in was because Frosch opened the door and Lector tackled him, plus Sting tried to pull me out of here as soon as he walked in the room." Rogue eyed his blushing silver-haired guildmate, he knew Yukino was not much of a liar and it's not like he had a problem with her or Levy for that matter as much as he had a problem with the other two slayers.

He knew for a fact that both of the males would have been able to smell not only Lucy's arousal, but his own, and that was what didn't sit well with him.

Her apartment being invaded along with her privacy was nothing new to the blonde celestial mage, but she did have to say that this particular situation definitely had to take the cake on the awkward level.

When Lucy had become a member of one of the most unpredictable guild in Fiore, on top of being friends with some of the most overprotective people she had ever met; the celestial wizard had come to learn real quick that privacy was a privilege that she would not have.

There had been  _many_ times Lucy's apartment had been used as a type of haven for various members of her guild without her permission, even times where her teammates would barge into her apartment while she was getting undressed or changing.

These were things she had come to expect from the members of Fairy Tail.

But even so, she still couldn't seem to shake the embarrassment as it tried to settle within her once again. Something about being caught doing something so intimate with someone she hadn't really known for very long made her feel dirty, but not because she regretted it.

It was more of the fact that she  _loved_  it. She craved the ebony haired slayer's touch almost as much as she would crave water on a hot summer day, and that was what scared her. How had she managed to fall so fast for someone she had just been terrified of a month ago?

She knew the answer to that. In fact, she had always known the answer.

She fell in love with the way he put the pieces of her brokenness back together.

She fell in love with the way he held her, even when she was afraid of him and the way he was there even though the blonde didn't trust him. She fell in love with his shadows- the magic that comforted her and fought down her own darkness.

Lucy felt the slayer move from her grasp as he asked the question she had mentally been wondering as well. She had to say, she really didn't think Levy or Yukino would have been able to hear her and Rogue's escapade in the bathroom, but there was no doubt that the other slayers had- on top of even being able to smell it.

Lucy felt a shiver slip down her spine, that revelation just didn't sit well with her.

"Lucy, do you remember anything that happened after Natsu… After Rogue separated Natsu's hold from your wrist?" Lucy's eyes moved to the blue-haired woman who was moving to stand from the loveseat before bringing her hand up to look at the bruised and blistered flesh.

"I don't really know. I remember feeling like I was losing a battle within myself, and then when Natsu said such awful things… I snapped and lost that battle. I don't remember anything after finally letting the shadow magic consume me through my emotions." The blonde looked over to see the crimson eyes of the shadow mage gazing at her, it was evident that he had wanted to know the answer to that question as well.

She had wanted to mention the voice she had tried to fight off, but she didn't want to sound like a complete lunatic. The blonde was used to hearing the voice of the futuristic slayer in her dreams, but she wasn't really accustomed to hearing it while she was conscious.

"I thought so. It was almost as if you were possessed by the shadows. Your appearance changed almost as if you had inherited dragon force through Rogue's slayer magic. You used that magic against Natsu, beating him unconscious. Loke came by and informed us that your spirits were unable to feel you, or open their gates in the small amount of time you were in that form." The blonde celestial mage shook her head while she tried to rack her brain with the overload of missing information she had received. There was just one small detail that Lucy knew that Levy was leaving out.

"But the shadows… They weren't Rogue's magic were they? They were the future shadow dragon slayer's magic, weren't they?" Lucy bent her head, she knew it was more of a statement than a question since she could hear his voice before she blacked out, but she needed some type of confirmation that she had somehow been able to shake off being consumed by the dark magic.

A loud grunt was heard as the iron dragon slayer moved around on the couch, catching her attention.

"That ain't entirely true, bunny girl. It felt like a mix of both Ryos and that bastard's magic, so somehow even though you were possessed by the shadows, you weren't so far gone that you were unreachable. Ryos was able to snap you out of it real fast." Lucy only nodded stiffly while she soaked in the knowledge only for the iron mage to be questioned by someone else.

"So if Blondie had the right teacher, she could learn to use the shadow magic as a trump card in a battle? I mean, assuming both Lucy and Rogue decided they would much rather enjoy their shadow play together, rather than removing it." Lucy felt a crimson blush rise over her face while Levy suppressed a giggle when Yukino smacked her mate's arm.

"Fuck off, Sting." The dark-haired saber growled, even though he was extremely exhausted, the shadow mage was regretting not taking out the arrogant blonde as soon as he realized the pervert was in the room, best friend be damned. He was too tired for his guild master's taunting.

"Hey, no need to be so hostile! It's a valid question, and I am sure Blondie wouldn't mind having  _you teach_ her a few things." The white dragon slayer grinned while Gajeel snickered which only caused the blonde celestial mage to blush a scarlet that looked true to Erza's fiery locks.

Lucy was about to try and stutter out a defense but was beaten to the punch, literally. The blonde host had watched with wide eyes as the shadow mage finally had enough of the other male Saber's teasing as he slammed his balled up fist into the blue-eyed slayer's stomach, successfully causing the male to slump to the floor by the surprise attack.

"Okay. I feel better now." Lucy giggled while the shadow mage tossed her a small smirk before moved to lean on the wall near the bathroom door, close to where she had been standing. Sting crawled over to grab at the silver-haired female in an attempt to ask for help as he tried to climb back to his feet while Levy and Gajeel both shook their head at the Sabertooth guild master, the man should have really seen that hit coming.

"Okay, so how exactly did I beat up Natsu?" The blonde celestial mage noticed Levy's eyes light up while another cackle was heard from the smirking iron dragon slayer.

Apparently, they seemed to like reliving the incident.

* * *

"I wonder where all that intense magic came from, anyway. I remember Lucy's magic power being different, but nothing near that incredible." Gray sat at the bar with the red-haired requip mage while she surveyed the guild, taking note of the damage that had been inflicted on the abused hall.

While the ice-make wizard was proud of Lucy for finally being able to put the dense pyro in his place for a change, he couldn't help but wonder just what exactly the fire dragon slayer had been able to pick up that he hadn't been able to.

Even though the raven-haired male has known Natsu for years, he had never seen the bumbling idiot act that unusual. Which that brought into question the conversation that had been tossed around between the two dragon slayers of fire and shadows, right before their blonde celestial mage had lost it.

"Our Lucy is getting stronger, but I do have to say that I too am curious as to how she had learned to channel the Sabertooth slayer's magic in such a short time, especially since she is not a dragon slayer herself." Gray frowned when the redhead turned back to the bar while placing herself on the stool next to him. They had seen Gajeel utilize the shadow mage's magic before, but the iron mage is a dragon slayer, so that was different.

Lucy was an ordinary wizard that only had celestial magic, nothing even close to the magic that the dark-haired Sabertooth mage could wield, so how had she been able to control it? The requip mage leaned forward to rest her elbows on the bar while bringing her hands together to tap her index fingers to her chin.

"I wish Gajeel was here, I'm sure he would be able to shed some light on this mystery!" Gray jumped a little as the oldest Strauss sibling teetered from one foot to the other while she imagined the juicy gossip she could try to force out of the long ebony haired slayer.

"All I wanna know is if our little Lulu really is tappin' that Saber guy's sweet ass!" The drunken brunette tossed her empty beer bottle to the white-haired barmaid while she tried to keep from falling over onto an irritated Gray.

Why was it that he always got pushed into the women's gossiping circle?

"Well… Lucy already had magic in her body from that crazy lunatic version of Rogue from the future, we just didn't know it at the time, but something had to have happened during her time at Sabertooth to intensify it to that level of magical power. It just makes me even more curious to know what type of relationship has developed between Lucy and Rogue." Mira twirled around on the balls of her feet as a small twinkle flickered across her eyes; signs that a plan was already forming in the takeover mage's head.

The blonde would have to come back to the guildhall sooner or later, and the white-haired woman was determined to receive the juicy details she so craved, even if she had to corner the celestial wizard.

"I think it's time all us ladies have a 'girl's night' to strengthen our bonds with our beloved little Lucy, don't you agree, Cana… Erza?" The ice-make mage jumped off the stool while he watched the three females grin to one another before each stifled small snickers as they tried to formulate a plan together.

The raven-haired male had no idea what the Fairy Tail women had in mind for his blonde teammate, but he did know that she was in for a hell of a 'girls night'- that is, if they could pry her away from the shadow dragon slayer.

"Mirajane my child, I have no qualms with you celebrating Lucy's arrival back home, but please do keep in mind while you all are planning that the Sabertooth slayer will want to stay close to our Lucy." Mira nodded her understandings to the small guild master who had been sitting on the edge of the bar sipping at his mug.

She knew he had been listening, and hoped that the man would intervene if something of the necessity was to be pointed out to her attention.

"Of course, Master. I was thinking that maybe we could all go visit the local hot springs, that way the guys can have time to relax as well! It would be fun for everyone, don't you think?" The white-haired she-demon smiled when the master's face light up at the thought of visiting the springs; after all, it has been some time since the Fairy Tail guild had a 'family outing'.

"The springs, you say? I approve of this 'girl's night' idea. Good job, Mira." Erza slipped off the stool, letting her feet hit the floor with a heavy thump as the armor met wood. The takeover mage giggled when her younger Strauss sibling made her way over to the bar with a still wincing Natsu in tow.

"Mira! Are we really all going to take Lucy to the hot springs? Can Natsu come as well?" Lisanna looked from her older sister to the guild master with pleading eyes. The elder snowy-haired woman shared a glance with the master before giving Natsu a sweet smile while a dark aura surrounded her body.

"Of course, Natsu can come! But if he tries to pull another stunt like he did earlier, he won't have to worry about Lucy beating him, Erza and I will personally see to his demise. So, don't ruin our fun, m'kay?" The salmon haired male shivered while the sickly sweet smile painted on the oldest Strauss's face sent a wave of ice colder than the ice-make mage's up along his still sore spine.

"Okay, now with that settled, Erza why don't you contract Levy so she can convince Lucy. Cana, you make sure there is enough liquor to get that pretty little celestial wizard to talkin'. Lisanna, round up and take names of everyone who is interested in going. Oh, and Natsu- Please behave." After receiving a few nods and a drunken 'Hell yeah!' from the brunette, Mira went to stand next to the guild master who had been watching the exchange with a small smirk on his wrinkled face.

"Think your plan is going to work?" Mira smiled at the old man before resting her elbows on the clean bar top. She had faith that her plan would work, not only because she wanted to get Lucy to spill on what the deal was with her and the Sabertooth slayer, but because she knew that deep down the celestial mage needed this.

The blonde had been away from her home for a month on top of being abused while the Fairy Tail guild members had sat back in silence because they believed it was the best thing to do for her. But now that they had their celestial wizard back, they were ready to start her healing process in their own way.

_Together._

"I hope so." Mira turned to watch as the members of Fairy Tail scurried around the still haphazard hall while trying to get everything ready for their last minute trip to the hot springs.

Something deep within told the blue eyes beauty that this trip would be one for the scrapbook.

* * *

_**Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews and well wishes for my trip, I hope you all had a great holiday and are looking forward to Springtime!** **Thank you all for your patience!** _

_**I'm sorry it took so long for an update. I did have a good time visiting with family. :)** _

_**They like to tease my husband though because he practically had a 'love at first sight' moment with me when we first met when I was only 10 years old. He followed me around like a lovesick puppy dog even when I was too oblivious to notice for a few years. lol anyways, HE didn't have that great of a time because of the teasing, but I DID. XD I'm starting to think if I wrote a story based on our relationship, it would turn out pretty well. I might do that as a Rolu slice of life fic one day. XD** _


	21. Chapter 21

 

**WARNING:  Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**This chapter is Beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should go check them out!**

* * *

**Chapter 21**

* * *

"So you mean to tell me that I single-handedly took out Natsu.. Our Natsu?  _As in Natsu Dragneel_? Sorry Levy, I just can't seem to wrap my head around that one. I mean, I'm usually the one that's always getting kidnapped, or ends up having to be rescued on missions. So to think that I could actually even use the shadows to beat the crap out of him is pretty chilling to think about." The blonde haired woman leaned back against her desk chair she was currently occupying while her mind tried to process the load of information the solid script mage has decided to share with her.

Of course, the celestial wizard knew that it was a possibility that she could use the foreign shadow magic within her as her own if she learned the proper way of controlling it, but that wasn't the case in this situation.

The feeling she received from the shadows before her mind went blank, was almost as if it had completely taken her over, possessing her till she was nothing but a captive in her own body.

The voice that lived deep inside the darkest parts of her mind had somehow taken over and that was the only reason she must have been able to use the magic in the first place.

But to think that that magic had been able to toss around the 'never give up' pyro like he was nothing but a mere toy had her mind reeling.

How much magic did she really have housed within her body? And could the possibility of her taming the future as well as the present shadow dragon slayer's magic be something she could accomplish with the right type of training?

"Believe it, bunny girl. I don't know what the hell is going on inside that body of yours, but I get the feeling that it's trying to merge all your magics together. Since the playboy wasn't even able to open a gate while you were using those two shadow magics, I'd even say it has the potential of even changing your celestial magic." Lucy snapped straight up in her chair while she looked around the room in fear, she didn't want to lose the ability to summon her spirits!

They were so much more than just her magic to her, they were her friends and the thought of never being able to see them again had a hole forming in her heart from just at the idea.

"Gajeel, don't scare her like that!" Levy slapped the back of the iron mages head earning a grunt and a scowl from the larger male as he crossed his arms back over his chest. Lucy suppressed a chuckle as she watched the bluenette stretch her body up in an attempt to close the gap of their obvious size differences while trying to appear bigger than the little woman actually was.

A snicker was heard across the room as the blonde dragon slayer also tried to keep in his laughter.

"What? I'm just telling it how I see it. Geez shrimp, can't you ever keep your hands to yourself?" Lucy watched as the petite solid script mage blushed before turning her head away from the iron dragon slayer.

Those two really did act like an old married couple.

"I wouldn't have to hit you if could show a little bit of compassion for Lu's situation!" Lucy let a small giggle slip passed her lips as she watched the two Fairy Tail wizards bicker while still sitting on her tiny loveseat.

While of course, she was still worried about never being able to use her celestial magic again if Gajeel's words rang true, she didn't want that to ruin her visit at Fairy Tail.

All that mattered at the moment was that she was still able to use her magic, which brought out a sort of comfort to the blonde fairy.

"It's okay Levy, I understand what Gajeel is trying to say. Thanks for looking out for me, though. I really appreciate it." The blonde woman smiled as she observed her two guildmates stop arguing with one another long enough to nod in her direction, a smile and small blush on the bluenette's face as she gave her a thumbs up with a wink.

Of course, the smaller woman would always look out for her, just like she would do the same for her.

"It's okay, Lucy. I don't think Rogue's magic will try and merge with your celestial magic, if anything the Rogue from the future and the present Rogue's magics are the ones that are trying to merge together, celestial and shadow magic are just too different for that sort of thing to happen." Lucy's eyes glanced toward her fellow celestial wizard while the silver-haired Saber shifted in her seat at the blonde's small kitchen table. It really was somewhat of a relief to hear that Yukino had been thinking the same thing that had been running through the blonde's mind.

The two different shadow magics in her forming together were possible but celestial and shadow magic was too different. Even when the future Rogue gained Sting's white dragon slayer magic, they were still both types dragon slayer magic.

Lucy's magic was a completely different type as it wasn't caster magic at all, it was holder magic meaning she needed her keys to even use it, so that put her mind at ease.

"I was thinking the same thing, Yukino." The blonde was sure the relief was apparent in her eyes when she turned to look at the ebony haired Saber who remained leaning against the same wall as earlier. His visible crimson eye locked onto her brown ones while a feeling sort of akin to worry touched her heart, worry that did not belong to her.

Lucy studied the impassive male's face, trying to make out the unreadable expression but her attention on the shadow mage was severed when she heard the soft vibrations of a lacrima going off.

The blonde Fairy Tail wizard's eyes darted to the loveseat just in time to watch Levy as she brought out a small travel sized lacrima, making the sound of vibrations reverberate louder throughout the room. The blue haired mage held up the small device, drawing everyone's attention to the object when a picture of the red-headed Titania appeared.

"Levy, I have urgent news, you're still with Lucy, I presume?" Lucy's face grimaced, just what could have possibly happened now? She was hoping to enjoy her time back at home, not worry about anything. She could only hope that Fairy Tail wasn't involved in another major fiasco.

"Yeah, Gajeel and I are here. We even picked up some hitchhikers on the way." Levy pointed the lacrima to where the red-headed fairy would be able to get a good picture of the three Sabertooth members sitting at Lucy's kitchen table. The three waved before the bluenette woman moved the device back to where she was in full view before waiting for the Titania to continue.

"I see, then Yukino will be able to join us as well. We have all come to a decision to visit the local hot springs for a 'girl's night' tomorrow. The boys will also be attending by having their own 'guy's night'- separately, of course. We all want to reconnect with you, Lucy. Is this acceptable?" The blonde felt everyone's eyes land on her as they curiously waited for her reply while a certain ebony haired slayer moved off the wall in favor of crossing his arms over his chest.

The blonde was nervous, while she would love to reconnect with all her girlfriends of the guild, she wasn't good around large crowds anymore. So the thought of being crowded in with a large number of women made her feel slightly anxious just at the thought.

The celestial mage in question bit her bottom lip, causing her teeth to worry the soft pink flesh.

The longer she took to reply, the more she struggled within herself to come up with a suitable answer.

"I'll go, and I'm sure Levy will be there as well. Plus, the guys won't be far away, right? If it becomes too much for you to handle, Rogue can bring you back home, so what's the harm in just trying?" Lucy felt her tension ease as her brown orbs slid from the smiling form of Yukino to the nodding bluenette still holding the lacrima device.

However, it wasn't until her questioning gaze landed on the shadow dragon slayer, who was slowly nodding his head with a small ghost of a smile did she finally decide to voice her answer.

"Okay, it sounds like it could be fun. We'll give it a shot!" The blonde nodded her head with a determined look on her face. This would be a good chance to finally overcome some of her fears. Plus, as long as Levy and Yukino were there and she knew Rogue wasn't too far out of range, Lucy felt she would be able to handle a girl's night with her family, no problem.

"I'm glad to hear that, Lucy. Also, Sting and Yukino, if you haven't already made preparations on where you two will be staying for your visit in Magnolia, I can arrange a guest room at the guild hall. I can only imagine Lucy's apartment would be too cramped with so many people." Sting rubbed the back of his neck while Yukino sighed with a small scowl on her face.

The Sabertooth Master was supposed to be the one in charge of taking care of their lodging accommodations. Though it would seem the slayer had all but forgotten about that particular task. So the fact that the three Saber's were being offered another accommodation, other than Lucy's apartment, was heaven to Sting's ears.

"That would be great, Erza. I'll take you up on that offer; I'd also like to visit the hot springs as well when you all go." Sting laughed as he continued rubbing the back of his neck, he would love to use the excuse that he wanted to catch up with Natsu, or hang out with his partner, but the fact was that he just wasn't ready to be away from the silver-haired woman just yet after their mating.

That's not to say that the blonde Sabertooth master wasn't excited to see Natsu again, because he really was stoked about that as well.

"Of course, I'd expect nothing less from Sabertooth's guild master. You are more than welcome to join Rogue and the other men on their guy's night. We will all meet up at the springs at noon tomorrow. Levy, could you please guide Sting, Yukino, and Lector back to the guild on your way to Fairy Hills?" Lucy watched as Sting gave Rogue a thumbs up before the ebony haired slayer rolled his eyes and turned to look at her.

She could feel the shadow mage's annoyance through their bond which caused the celestial mage to stifle a giggle at just how much the twin dragon slayer actually acted like real brothers.

"Alright, thanks Erza. I'm going to be leaving here soon so we won't be too long." After receiving a firm nod from the scarlet-haired beauty Levy ended the connection before putting the lacrima back in her pocket. A yawn escaped the blue-haired solid script mage before she stood with a stretch from the loveseat, followed by a tired looking Gajeel.

The light filtering through the apartment window had started to fade as the coming night approached. Time had seemed to escape them all as they finally realized the sun would be going down soon, signaling the end of the day.

Lucy glanced over to the window, taking in the beautiful golden hues while they spilled through the gaps in her blinds. How could she have slept most of the day away after returning back home from the guild earlier this morning?

Not to mention the lewd and heated wakeup call she had received after her nap. It has definitely been a long day for the two of them, that was for sure.

"Okay, well I guess we will see you all tomorrow at the hot springs. Be safe back to the guild." Lucy saw the four wizards and one exceed out of her apartment, of course not before getting a hug from both the solid script and celestial mage before they departed.

Sting tossed a wave of goodbye over his shoulder while throwing one last glance at his ebony haired partner while Gajeel just grunted his goodbye. Frosch flew in the doorway while waving goodbye to lector who had promised to play with the other little exceed tomorrow.

The blonde celestial wizard let out a sigh when she closed her door with a soft click, the sound echoed throughout the now silent apartment before she turned to look back at her remaining house guests.

The day had been a complete emotional roller coaster for her, and the fairy had no doubt that tomorrow would be just as- if not more, hectic then it had been today.

Despite only being awake for a couple of hours, Lucy was still drained both physically and mentally. Between her anxiety of seeing everyone at the guild, her fear and embarrassment due to Natsu's indiscretion, and then giving into the pleasure of the shadow dragon slayer's touch she was exhausted.

A light blush crossed over Lucy's cheeks at that last thought when she remembered the shadow dragon slayer's bone-melting touches.

Chancing a glance at the said man, Lucy took in his perfectly structured body while he bent to look within the depths of her stocked fridge. Nervousness washed over her form as she leaned against the closed front door while thoughts of the dragon slayer's confessions slipping into her mind as if they begged to be remembered.

" _Do you know how long I have wanted to hold you? To feel your body pressed into mine…?"_ Lucy felt fire burn low within her belly as she remembered his heated words; The ebony haired male had put himself out there to tell her exactly how he felt about her, making sure that there would be no room for any miscommunications.

" _I will never hurt you in the ways you were in the past, that's not my intention. I want you to know that I don't have it within me to hurt you, Lucy."_ The blonde felt her eyes follow the slayer's movements as he reached deeper within the confines of her refrigerator. Her heart had never felt so full, almost as if a piece she never knew was missing had been put back into place, filling the gaps of her broken heart and mending to where she finally felt somewhat like her old self again.

" _Will you let me stay by your side, even though I don't deserve to?"_ Lucy blinked when she remembered his heartfelt words. How could he think he didn't deserve to stay by her? If anything, she didn't deserve his affection.

No matter how much the ebony haired mage would tell her, Lucy still felt like she was and would always be a burden to him.

"Any particular reason you are staring at me, Lucy?" Lucy felt the blush spread further up her cheeks as her whole face flamed with a brilliant pink. She hadn't realized she had been staring at the male the whole time she had been deep in her memories.

The blonde squeaked when the slayer slowly stalked towards her, all thoughts of the food in the fridge completely forgotten with every step he took to close the distance between them.

"I- I didn't mean to stare, I was just so lost in thought that I didn't even realize I was looking at you." Lucy felt the cool wood of her apartment door as it met her flesh, a clear indication that she wouldn't be able to back away anymore from the ebony haired male. His strides were wide and before the blonde could blink, the master of shadows had slipped his way right up in front of her, leaving no room for an escape.

"Are you sure that's the only reason,  _Luce_? I could have sworn I felt something through our bond. I believe it was  _desire_." Lucy felt a jolt of electricity shoot from her belly to her womanhood as she took in the heated and predatory gaze the Sabertooth mage pinned her with.

It would seem the tiger had caught his fairy.

Rogue brought one of his hands up to rest on the wood of the door right beside the blonde's head, while the other moved to caress the exposed skin of her waist.

"You do know that I can smell you, right?" Rogue moved in to nuzzle the side of her neck, making the blonde whimper while she reached up to grab the silken stands of his ebony locks, enticing a growl from the already turned on slayer.

Lucy could feel the hand on her waist as it slowly slipped down to grasp at her curvaceous hip before pushing her flush against the door.

"I swear, it's getting harder and harder to contain myself around you, Lucy. Everything within me is telling me that you are _-_ without a single doubt- _mine_. I feel such strong emotions coming from you and when you mix the scent of my magic, along with the smell of your desire, you become extremely  _dangerous for me._ " Lucy felt the way his strong hand kneaded the skin of her hip while his other came to rest on her cheek before moving his head down so that he could place a gentle kiss on her forehead, causing another pang of desire to slip through her body.

The blonde watched as her slayer's nostrils flared while he took in the fresh wave of her arousal, causing another pained groan to slip past his lips.

"R-Rogue I-" Lucy was cut off as the loud grumble of her stomach echoed throughout the room causing the blonde to look away shyly.

Leave it to her stomach to ruin the mood.

The ebony haired slayer released his hold on the blonde while moving his body further away from hers so as to unpin her from the door. He gave her a small smile before he turned to head back to her kitchen as if nothing had just happened between the two of them.

"What would you like for dinner? We missed lunch so you have to be at least half as hungry as I am." The blonde stammered as she watched the male resume his place in front of the fridge before giving her a small smile while bringing his index finger up to his lip before pointing at the little green exceed who had passed out on the couch as soon as the other mages made their exit.

The blonde nodded silently while she made her way over to the kitchen as well.

"You made breakfast this morning, so it's my turn to cook dinner, so get out of my kitchen." The slayer could feel his magic surge through his body the longer the celestial mage let her hand linger on his shoulder, proving that he had not yet recovered from their little moment - even though he put on a good front.

"Fine. Make me your favorite food, then." Lucy smiled as she put on her apron, glad that the slayer had decided not to fight her on the subject.

She wasn't an amazing cook like Mira, but she wasn't horrible in the kitchen, so hopefully Rogue wouldn't hate her cooking.

"Coming right up!"

The blonde set to work.

* * *

Lucy sighed, the small exhale of air had caught the shadow mage's attention causing him to avert his eyes away from the hypnotic swaying of the blonde's full hips while she walked in front of him.

The dark haired male mentally sighed as well, the further they walked down the cobblestone street the sooner it would inevitably lead the both of them to the local hot spring resort, where they would be split up from one another.

The ebony haired slayer silently followed after Lucy while staying a few feet behind while he tried to keep his distance from the delectable blonde. It wasn't that he didn't want to be close to her, because in truth that would be the complete opposite of what he truly wanted; but Rogue had started to wonder if maybe his constant close proximity would start to feel like he was pressuring her.

The dragon slayer could feel Lucy through their bond and though he never felt any indication that she was feeling pressured or forced, the ruby-eyed mage couldn't help the nagging voice in his head that whispered maybe he was overstepping his boundaries a little too much lately with the blonde Fairy.

He wasn't used to dealing with strong emotional desires that had to do with lust and adoration before, so to say that he was a little out of his element would be a huge understatement. On top of that, Rogue didn't have any experience in dealing with women to begin with; making it even more difficult for the shadow dragon slayer.

Being as this was his first time ever feeling the emotion before, he didn't really know what to do with himself. He didn't want to act like he was coming on too strong, but at the same time, he didn't want to keep himself too closed off and distant from her in fear that it would drive a wedge between their slowly forming relationship.

To put it simply; the ebony haired Sabertooth mage felt unsure of himself.

The celestial maiden was by no means weak, but her mind was in a fragile position and he was worried that if he kept trying to get closer to her; and if she wasn't ready for that, he would end up pushing her away from him.

The Sabertooth slayer had never once wondered who his life mate could be, but now that he thought he had found her, he wasn't ready to lose her over his foolish and rash actions.

Rogue felt a wave of uneasiness wash over him while he watched what he could only assume was the resort they would most likely be staying at coming into their view.

From what he could tell, the resort had a nice tranquil atmosphere while still being lively enough to draw in people. The building was surrounded by small local businesses and many attractions that could easily sway consumers to visit Magnolia's small hotspot for tourists.

The shadow slayer felt a knot form in his stomach. He wanted to be supportive of the blonde Fairy Tail wizard reconnecting with her family and friends, but he didn't want her to force herself into something she wasn't ready for just for the sake of other people's feelings.

Rogue concentrated as he tried to gauge Lucy's emotions through their shared connection. Usually, the ebony haired male wouldn't even have to concentrate to feel her turmoil boiling within her, but it would seem the celestial mage was starting to get the hang of controlling her own emotions.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to, you know." Red irises met molten chocolate eyes as the blonde haired woman stopped walking to look over her shoulder to give the slayer a reassuring smile, causing warmth to fill his chest.

How the celestial mage could still smile like that while trying to assure him even though he could still feel her nervousness through their bond made him shake his head; she was too giving, too thoughtful for her own good.

"If something happens, we will leave; but I'm not going to run away before at least trying." Rogue's eyes softened while he felt pride swell within him at watched the blonde angel in front of him turn to continue walking.

It still amazed him how strong she really was, he was a fool to assume that the fairy walking before him now was nothing more than just a common guild member. There was so much more to Lucy than just her losing matches at the GMG, and there was so much more to her magic that they didn't even get to see.

He was wrong to go off of what he has witnessed at the GMG to judge her.

"All the other slayers including Sting are already there, I'm guessing we are the last to arrive." As if on cue, Rogue watched as the doors to the resort's inn swung open in the distance to reveal not only Sting but the iron dragon slayer as well followed by their respective women.

The dark-haired saber inwardly sighed, today was going to be difficult not only for Lucy but for him as well. Rogue was a recluse by nature and preferred to keep to his usual routines along with enjoying peace and quiet in his free time.

The Fairy Tail guild was the very definition of Chaos. Add Sting to the mix, and they had everything that could possibly give Rogue a terrible migraine that would take him a few days to recover from.

The shadow mage had immersed in his own thought, so much so that when he heard a soft feminine giggle directly in front of him his eyes shot up to meet Lucy's brown orbs not even a foot away from his own face.

He hadn't even realized she had stopped walking again, let alone turned to stare at him.

"I can feel your irritation, Rogue. I'm starting to get better at this, I can finally feel some of your emotions!" The slayer blinked, usually Lucy wasn't able to feel his emotions, at least not as well as he was able to feel hers.

A smile formed on the shadow mage's usually stoic face as he gazed at the excited blonde's face. Their bond was strengthening, a revelation that had the slayer almost purring with satisfaction. It elated the Saber to know that they were on the right track so far.

"Um. I feel that too.." His crimson eyes darkened when the blonde's blush spread across her face. If Lucy was now able to even slightly feel all his emotions, there was no way he would be able to hide the amount of desire he felt for her.

He wouldn't be able to hide his random arousal or mild fascination when he would sneak glances at her throughout the day. He would have to be careful when it came to his own emotions now if he wanted to keep from scaring the celestial mage away from him.

If the blonde only knew all the pent-up feelings he's had to keep locked inside himself, if she knew how much he really did want her, he was pretty sure she would be completely put off. Rogue felt that Lucy didn't need someone that lust after her as much as he did right now. So he would make sure to keep his emotions in check since he now knew she was now able to pick up on him through their bond.

"I see. I honestly don't think you are ready to handle both of our emotions yet." A hurt look flashed across the celestial mage's eyes before she quickly recovered with a small but fake smile. Even though he was determined to keep the celestial mage from his inner desires that of course involved her, Lucy was still somewhat of an open book to him. He had caught the hurt expression before she tried to cover it.

"I don't want you to hide from me like you do from the rest of the world... I thought I could be someone that you could open up to because I don't want you to carry your burdens alone anymore…" Lucy let her voice trail off as she held one of her arms at the elbow with her other while looking away from the male's intense gaze.

So many questions were whirling around in the slayer's mind and as Rogue was about to say something, a familiar and irritating voice in the not-so-far-off distance caught bother their attention.

"What the hell are you two doing just standing out here? Everyone has been waiting for you two for hours now!" Levy pushed at the blonde trying to get her to move faster toward the inn that was only about 20 feet away. The ebony haired slayer sweat dropped as he watched the blue haired mage scolded not only Lucy but him as well as she reached out and pulled him by the ear, causing both the iron dragon slayer and Sting to snicker as they neared the doors to the entrance of the inn of the resort. Frosch made a quick exit as he flew into the air to hover above the mages before flying straight into the inn, no doubt to try and find the other exceeds.

"About damn time you two showed up to the party, what took you guys so long? It's already 3pm!" The blonde Sabertooth master smirked as he wiggled his eyebrow suggestively while darting his eyes from the shadow dragon slayer to the celestial mage.

Rogue sighed in relief when the short solid script wizard released his ear, letting him stand at his full height while he rubbed his abused extremity.

"Frosch ended up taking a nap right when we were getting ready to leave, and we didn't want to wake him up." Rogue made sure to let his mask of indifference slip back into place as he hit his blonde guild master upside the head for insinuating bad things between him and Lucy.

"Ekk! You two would make such good parents! Oh my, do I see babies in the near future?" Rogue reeled back when the white-haired satan soul takeover wizard appeared out of seemingly nowhere before she circled him like prey while hearts danced within her eyes.

The sabertooth slayer raised his visible eyebrow as the Fairy Tail model whispered about how she would be the best aunt ever to his and Lucy's unborn children. Red eyes slipped from face to face as he silently asked for someone to save him from the woman's overbearing and frightening aura she was letting off as she closed in on him.

"No! Mira, no. It's too early to start that type of talk!" The ebony haired saber breathed a sigh of relief when Levy pushed the model out of his personal space. The white-haired fairy had a terrifyingly creepy presence that surrounded her while she gave a quick and somewhat innocent smile before she was pushed back into the inn.

The wicked aura had caused him to subconsciously move closer to Lucy while contemplating if he would be the one to make them leave early.

"Is she already drunk, or is this a normal occurrence?" Rogue found himself asking while he watched the solid script mage continue to try and push the oldest Strauss sibling back into the entryway of the inn. It wasn't until he heard the unique and oddly annoying laugh of Gajeel that he finally looked back at the small group that was still standing outside.

"Geehee. Don't worry about those crazy women; the only thing you have to worry about is the men of Fairy Tail. You're with us, Ryos. So say bye bye to bunny girl for the night." Rogue found himself in a headlock by the iron dragon slayer as not only he but Sting started dragging him away from the Inn's entrance, in turn, away from Lucy.

The shadow mage flailed about while he tried to loosen Gajeel's constricting grip before he finally decided to dissolve into his shadows so he could easily slip from the older male's grasp.

But it was too late, he was too far away and from the looks of it, Levy and Yukino had already corralled Lucy into the inn and away from him.

* * *

_**Thanks for all the love! 3** _


	22. Chapter 22

**WARNING: Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

***IMPORTANT NOTE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CHAPTER****

* * *

**CHAPTER 22**

* * *

Lucy watched with perplexed confusion as the shadow mage was forcefully taken away by the iron and white dragon slayers. The blonde found herself extending her hand out toward the struggling male, but quickly put it down when both the blue-haired and silver-haired women ushered her into the entrance of the inn.

"Bye guys, have fun!" Lucy heard the petite solid script mage yell while she waved at the retreating slayers before she let the door slide closed. An audible click was heard as the wood connected with the frame, sealing the blonde within the building.

"Oh, Lucy! I've missed you so much! I'm so glad you decided to join us!" The celestial fairy turned to smile at Mira while the white-haired mage bounced on the balls of her feet slightly. The blonde blinked at the barmaid, she wasn't surprised that the woman had waited by the door after being forced back into the inn before everyone else.

Though she loved the takeover mage, Lucy knew how much the she-devil craved the latest gossip, and right now, Lucy had no doubts that the latest scoop had something to do with herself and her mysterious seemingly impassive house guest.

The blonde sighed when she took a few steps further into the entryway while taking a look around the spacious lobby of the resort's inn.

"It's great to be back in Magnolia again, but where is everyone else?" She let her brown orbs scan the lobby, but when it was clear that none of the other women were within the general vicinity she let her eyes fall back on the two Fairy Tail wizards and one Sabertooth mage.

"Oh, Erza drug most of the girls with her to pick up something. Apparently, it's something very special, and huge." The Strauss sibling winked while bringing her index finger up to her lips indicating that she knew exactly what the scarlet-haired knight was picking up, but it was a secret to be kept from Lucy.

The blonde just shook her head while she watched the two other women shake their heads as well.

"Come on, Lucy! We can put your backpack in the room; just don't be surprised if we run into any of the guys. Our rooms are actually right next to each other. Fairy Tail is notorious here and if there happened to be any damages done the staff wants to keep it within an isolated area." Levy sweat dropped as she rubbed the back of her neck while Mira just gave the blonde one of her cheery smiles.

Yukino just blinked at the three Fairy Tail women. Lucy could only assume that the Sabertooth wizard didn't have any idea about the reasoning as to why they the two rooms had been put together either, until now.

Lucy felt odd listening to the three women talk amongst themselves while they lead her around the inn and to their room. It wasn't that she felt uncomfortable as much as she just felt different because it wasn't the shadow mage that she was walking with.

The celestial key holder had become so accustomed to the slayer being around her that she hadn't ever realized what it would be like when they were apart after spending so much time together.

Even if they were still within the same building, it was odd.

Not only was she feeling a bit awkward around the women, but the blonde was also feeling Rogue's irritated and slightly amused emotions through their bond, and she could only wonder what exactly he was going through with the other men to let her feel those type of sentiments from the man that usually never gave any of his emotions away.

A small smile broke out on Lucy's face unknowingly as she walked while thinking of all the men together. Maybe Natsu and Rogue would be able to clear the air between them through this bonding experience.

"Okay, well I'm going to go check on the guys; they were out back playing some sort of game and I feel like I need to make sure that they don't destroy anything. I'll see you, ladies, later!" The girls giggled as they waved to the retreating snowy-haired woman before they came to stop in front of a door that Lucy could only assume was their room.

"Are you okay, Lu?" Levy laid a soft hand on the blonde's upper arm while she tried to gain her attention, it was a soft touch, but it was still enough to make the celestial mage jump a little from the contact. A sheepish smile formed on the blonde's face before she nodded her head while receiving twin looks from the other two women.

It would seem they were just as concerned about her as Rogue was.

"I'm fine! As long as I have you two here, then everything will be alright!" The celestial wizard took a deep breath when she finally opened the door to their luxurious suite for the night.

Lucy's eyes widened considerably while she looked around the spacious room. From the looks of it, Fairy Tail really went all out for welcoming their lovely celestial wizard back home. The blonde recalled visiting the resort before with a few of the girls from the guild, but they had gotten a smaller room and one time they didn't even stay at the Inn at all since everyone lived so close by.

The celestial mage took a small step into the open lounge area, taking note of the fully stocked kitchen that was currently being doubled as a bar by the brunette card mage.

Lucy wandered further in, making sure to drop her backpack by the door while she continued to survey the lush accommodations. A large lacrima screen hung low on the wall adjacent to a rather comfy looking couch that housed not only the sky dragon slayer, but her small white exceed as they skipped through multiple channels before realizing the blonde's presence in the room.

"Lucy! I'm so glad you are finally here! Everyone else should be back soon." The blonde couldn't help but smile when the blue-haired teen jumped from the couch to run over and hug her. Even though she would still flinch occasionally, Lucy didn't have a difficult time around women as much as she did men, and she definitely couldn't find a good reason to when it came to the young blue haired girl.

The little slayer had healed her and took away her physical suffering, so Lucy couldn't bring herself to shy away from the teen as she ran to collide into the blonde.

"It's great to see you too! I've missed you all so much." Lucy wrapped her arms around the bluenette before she felt another arm slung over her shoulder, the smell of alcohol permeating the air around her as she felt the weight of the card mage leaning into her side.

"Eyy, Lucy! So I wanna know something'. Are you bangin' that sexy ass slayer or is he available?" The blonde and young dragon slayer blushed while both Levy and Yukino frantically waved their hands around as they chided the card mage's bluntness.

"Ehh? It's a perfectly logical question, besides if she isn't tapping that I'd like to have a go with  _the master of shadows_." Lucy practically fell over as the card mage wiggled her brow suggestively at the blonde.

Though the celestial mage knew that Cana was most likely joking to get a rise out of her, Lucy couldn't help the slight pang of jealousy that touched her heart. She didn't want anyone else to have the shadow mage's attention in that way.

Call her selfish, but she really did  _like_  the Sabertooth mage.

"It's too early for that type of talk, Cana!" The alcoholic fairy removed her arm from Lucy before rubbing the back of her neck with a heated blush adorning her cheeks from the amount of booze she had consumed.

The brunette hiccupped while Levy scolded her for her indiscretion, making the celestial wizard's earlier possessiveness slip away when she let a small laugh slip past her lips

Even with only a small amount of Fairy Tail women in the room, the celestial wizard was starting to feel right at home. The blonde's giggle, along with the other mage's bickering, ceased when the door was slammed open to reveal a gigantic cake being forced through the room's entrance.

The huge dessert flew through the doorway while heading straight toward the group of shocked women and exceed. Lucy made a quick grab for Wendy before jump out of the way of the out of control confection right before it barreled past the exact spot they had been standing.

"My back is killing me, why did you have to get such a huge cake, Erza?" Brown eyes darted from the large cake now in the center of the room, to the door where multiple fairies started to file into the area through the still open door.

The scarlet-haired knight ran past all the other women to stand beside the frosting covered sweet, no doubt to make sure the cake hadn't been destroyed on the way back to the resort's inn.

"It's strawberry, and it's the perfect gift for Lucy's homecoming. Right, Lucy? The blonde didn't have time to answer before she was being crushed into the requip mage's metal breastplate, causing a metallic hymn to ring throughout the vicinity as the celestial mage's skull crashed into the stiff metal.

The blonde knew she was trying to be affectionate, but the soft stroke of Erza's gauntlet covered hand running through her hair was not as comforting as the act was supposed to be.

Yukino being the one to notice Lucy's discomfort, offered a solution and an escape root for the blonde as the silver-haired woman took pity on the pained look in the other celestial mage's eyes.

"So Erza, why did you pick this cake anyway?" The silverette caught the titania's attention as she walked over to stand closer to the gigantic dessert that was now the centerpiece of the room.

"Ah yes, Yukino. You see this cake is extremely special because I personally made sure that the ingredients were of the finest quality and had the best baker in Magnolia commissioned to create the masterpiece you see before us all." The blonde celestial mage felt the weight of Erza's arm release her before the redheaded mage reached over to clasp the Saber's shoulder with her constricting grip.

A tinge of discomfort could be seen in the other celestial maiden's eyes when the Titania's hand gripped her shoulder a little too tight for comfort.

_I'm so sorry, Yukino!_

* * *

Rogue could feel the blonde's excitement while it filtered through his body, the strong emotion had a unique feeling spreading through his bones as her happiness warmed up his usual apathetic exterior.

As much as the shadow mage had wanted to be annoyed by the fact that he had been forced to leave the blonde's side prematurely, without as little as a goodbye, he just couldn't bring himself to be. It was like her happiness had overshadowed his own emotions, making him feed off of her excitement.

At first, he had felt her nervousness and uncertainty as he had been drug away from her and he had struggled to go back so that he could at least tell her goodbye and maybe offer up some type of words of encouragement, but that had been dashed when he watched the other women, including Yukino, push his fairy inside before he was able to do anything about the situation.

That almost too perfectly timed charade had succeeded in making the ebony haired Saber irritable as he trudged along next to the two other dragon slayers before they made it to the back where all the other male Fairy Tail members have been immersed in some type of drinking game. The darker side of the twin dragons had sat to the side until his irritation had slowly waned to been mostly replaced by the celestial wizard's infectious joyful emotions.

Her obvious overjoyed mood had unknowingly started to rub off on the usual impassive slayer and before he even knew it he had joined not only Sting and Gajeel but multiple other Fairy Tail members as they sat at a table to play the odd drinking game that Bixlow had thought up.

Even the blonde Sabertooth guild master had been surprised by the shadow mage's gradual change in attitude as he sat down to join in on the ridiculous game.

In all honesty, the shadow dragon slayer was starting to really enjoy the feeling of Lucy's happiness as it not only reassured him that the blonde wasn't in any harm, but her good mood was also affecting him in a positive way.

The slayer had taken a step out of his comfort zone, and he was discovering that he was actually enjoying it. And while Rogue would have loved to smack the shit eating grin off of Sting's face that the blonde had developed while watching his dark-haired partner, the shadow mage just couldn't even bring himself to do that.

He was that just that content, and it was  _shocking_.

Besides the fiery salmon haired dragon slayer that had been sending him the occasional death glare every now and then, Rogue had come to learn that none of the other Fairy Tail members had any type of qualms or ill feelings towards him, even though he did take part in destroying their guild hall just yesterday.

Which was a welcomed relief since the shadow mage was planning on taking their blonde celestial mage as his mate and he didn't want to be on bad terms with his fairy's guild.

Rogue sighed when he took a glance at the pyro who had been sending him yet another hateful glare. He would also have to try and fix things with Natsu as well.

_Easier said than done._

"That was a pretty bad-ass beating you gave the flaming idiot yesterday. Luce is basically like a little sister to me, and I didn't get to thank you for sticking up for her when no one else could see she was in pain or terrified, so thanks for that." The shadow dragon slayer averted his eyes from the table where everyone was being pushed a shot to look over his shoulder to see the shirtless ice-make wizard standing behind him while extending a beer. The shadow mage accepted the bottle while scooting over to make room for the other raven haired mage to sit on the ground by the table.

"I just did what was right. She had been nervous to come back because of the circumstances she had been put in and I promised to keep her safe." The shadow mage took a swig of the amber liquid that had been offered to him.

He didn't feel comfortable admitting that he was just acting on his instinct along with her petrifying emotions to someone he had just met, even if the Fairy Tail wizard was thanking him.

"Regardless of the reason, I still enjoyed watching both you  _and_  Lucy beat the shit out of Natsu." Rogue suppressed a grin as not only the raven-haired fairy, but the iron dragon slayer snicker, Gajeel must have been listening to their conversation.

Through the laughter, the shadow mage could also hear a grunt when Sting crossed his arms over his chest while an air of depression clouded the man.

"That's just not right! I didn't even get to see Natsu and Rogue fight, or Blondie for that matter." The blonde Sabertooth master was put in a headlock as the iron mage cackled causing the rest of the table to turn their attention to the three slayers and ice-make mage.

"You really missed out, light bulb. Ryos took the pyro's ass down like he was nothin', you couldn't even call it a fight." A low growl was heard across the wood slab before a flaming fist connected with the table, causing various drinks to spill or topple onto the ground when the wood split in half from the force of the blow.

"Woah, Natsu! Calm down, buddy!" Sting threw his hands up in defense while Rogue impassively gazed at the fuming fire dragon slayer who had started to stand from the destroyed table to pointedly glare at the three other slayers and Gray.

The ebony haired saber stood as well, knowing that the irrate pyro would be coming after him more than anyone else.

"I don't get how you can just sit here as if you have done nothin' wrong, like everything is okay.  _As if everything is normal."_ Natsu clenched his fists while they ignited into bright red and yellow burst of flames, causing Rogue to stand in battle ready stance. No matter what he could say, he knew that the seething slayer wouldn't listen.

"You're the reason Luce has been locked up at Sabertooth. You're the reason my  _best friend_  has changed! The girl you brought with you isn't the real Luce, at least not anymore. So how can you  _all_  act like everything is normal when nothin' will ever be the same again!? Don't you understand, Rogue is going to take Lucy away from us, from Fairy Tail! I promised Luce once already that I would protect her future when the self-proclaimed Dragon King killed her, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do!"Rogue grit his teeth while he tried to control his anger as it bubbled up within him.

He knew that Lucy was not the same woman that she had been, but to completely blame it all on him was downright wrong because he was trying his best to correct his future counterpart's mistakes and he was trying to rewrite the past by giving the blonde a better future, not take it away. He would never try to take the blonde away from her guild and he damn sure wasn't going to become the man that had tried to steal her future away from her during the Eclipse Gate fiasco.

The shadow dragon slayer readied himself for the attack that he knew was coming while he tried his best to keep his emotions and magic under control so he wouldn't startle Lucy. She was having such a good time if her emotions were anything to go by, and he didn't want a fight with Natsu to ruin it for her.

As if hearing his thoughts the tiny Fairy Tail guild master stood up before enlarging his hand to circle around the flaming dragon slayer before walking off while calling for the green haired rune mage to follow after him.

The shadow slayer listened to the irate fire mage yell out every insult in the book towards him before his voice was silenced as a rune wall went up to surround the furious slayer, causing the ebony haired mage to sigh in relief when the old master and rune mage returned back to the broken table without a word.

It was obvious that master Makarov was not in the mood to listen or deal with the fire dragon slayer's outburst, either. The tiny old titan picked up a keg of beer before nodding to the rest of his guild, then just walked off into the direction of the hot spring.

"Okay, what the hell was that about?" Rogue looked to his own guild master who had voiced the question before the dark-haired saber sighed while rubbing his temples.

A headache had started to form in the back of his head as the high from Lucy's happiness started to dissipate, leaving him feeling aggravated by the salmon haired male's words, they had cut deeper to the bone more than any attack ever could.

"Natsu blames everything that has happened to Lucy on Rogue. He went off saying some shit about how he had defiled her, even accusing him of taking Lucy as his mate by force, just all sorts of crazy bullshit like that." The blonde guild master's eyes widened by the ice-make mage's explanation before he looked to Rogue while shaking his head, obviously realizing that Natsu had everything completely twisted just like they had believed he would.

"But Rogue isn't the guy that defiled Lucy. He saved her! Natsu has everything completely all wrong and backwards." The shadow dragon slayer's mouth fell open in shock while a cold sweat broke out over his brow. The ebony haired male knew that Sting wasn't the brightest or sharpest crayon in the box, but he had assumed him smart enough to know not to speak on impulse about personal things, just like his idol currently in timeout had.

The shadow slayer was dumbstruck while he reached his hands out as if he was going to strangle the Sabertooth guild master, but was beat to it by the iron dragon slayer grabbed the blonde by his mouth to make him be quiet.

"Lu-Lucy was actually… Raped… "

"But who, when?"

"Why didn't anyone tell us!?" The shadow mage felt the ice-make mage grab hold to the collar of his shirt before pulling him so that the raven-haired mage could search his eyes, as if they held all the answers to his questions.

The look of hopelessness within the Fairy Tail male's cobalt gaze had the slayer nodding his head. Even though he didn't want to be the one to tell all the details, he didn't have a choice now that Sting had opened his huge mouth to once again have Lucy's dirty laundry aired out for her guildmates to hear.

"One of the bandits, on the night I found her. Lucy is afraid men, this would also explain why no males were allowed to visit Sabertooth, as well as the reason why Lucy's emotions were unstable when Natsu grabbed her." Rogue felt the ice-make wizard release his hold on his shirt before Gray's hands slipped into his own raven hair while the man screwed his eyes shut.

"Damn it. Damn it, damn it! Why couldn't I have just gone with her? Why couldn't I have stopped her from leaving? FUCK!" Rogue watched with sorrowful understanding eyes as Gray kicked the already broken table, sending splinters of wood into the air before he fell to his knees to repeatedly punch the already corrupted wood.

The shadow mage knew what the male was going through, and from the looks of it, all the other Fairy Tail men were having the same type of reaction to the unexpected news. Some held anger in their eyes while others just looked away with sorrowful expressions for what happened to their comrade.

Rogue also found himself wondering what would have happened if he would have just shown up a little sooner, would he have been able to stop Lucy from getting hurt?

"But you saved her.. Right? She accepts you... She's always around you... That must mean that she is doing okay…" Rogue stared down at the raven haired male, his hair was covering his eyes from view as Gray tried to cover the shaking of his voice.

The shadow mage averted his gaze from the obviously broken and shocked fairy on the ground.

The shadow wizard could tell that Gray was looking for any small sliver of a silver lining to the devastation that had just been thrown down onto the Fairy Tail guild's shoulders. Rogue knew that even though none of her guildmates had been there, the ice-make wizard wanted to be sure that Lucy was still able to recover from the unspeakable trauma she had had to endure alone.

"Lucy is doing well despite the obvious life-altering experiences she's been put through in such a short amount of time." The ebony haired slayer moved closer to the Fairy Tail mage that was still on his knees before extending out his hand, catching said male's attention before Gray finally grabbed hold of the offered hand to help him back to his feet.

"I can't say that that makes me feel 100% better, but I can say that I do feel relieved that she was saved by you and Sabertooth." Rogue nodded before looking up at the sky, if only the ice-make wizard knew just how much he really did understand his words.

The shadow dragon slayer found himself thanking whatever deity it was that had decided to start this twisted game between the blonde celestial mage and himself.

If he never took that job request, if he never went down that dirt path…

Lucy would have  _died_.

Regardless of if it was official or not,  _his mate_  would have been dead, and he would have never been the wiser.

"I think it'd be best if we pretend none of you ever heard this. Blondie might go berserk on us in that crazy shadow form of hers... But uhh, what are we going to do about him?" Sting threw his thumb over his shoulder while he pointed to the fire mage who was busy filling the rune entrapment with both flames and smoke alike, his body obscured from the display that had just taken place.

Rogue sighed when he felt the pryo's furious eyes burning into him as if the heat from his magic was escaping the well-placed rune, even though Natsu wasn't able to see what had happened, he knew the slayer was able to pinpoint his presence.

"None of us were supposed to hear it anyways. Leave him be. Freed's rune will lift as soon as he simmers that hot head of his down." Rogue caught the sight of the dirty blonde haired lightning dragon slayer while he stood up from the place he had been sitting at the demolished table, both Bixlow and the rune mage following suit as the artificial dragon slayer moved to the back entrance of the resort.

"I'm going to have to agree with Laxus on this. There is no reason to bring it up, anyways. I mean, of course, I'm fucking pissed the hell off and want to rip apart the wizard that hurt Lucy, but he's already in jail, right?" Gray rubbed his temples, obviously trying to cool himself off as well.

Rogue nodded to the fairy before he pointed a death glare to his own guild master, to think that the man had told such a vital amount of information about his woman made the shadow mage ready to strangle him once again.

Rogue didn't have the heart or the nerve to tell the blonde woman that his own guild master had told every one of the Fairy Tail men that she had been used and defiled.

He would keep it a secret, much like he was hoping the other males would. Though it felt like he was lying to the blonde, maybe he would tell her when they get back to her apartment.

* * *

"Wow, Erza! That cake was amazing! I can't believe almost more than half of it is already gone!" Lucy marveled at the now dwindling masterpiece that once stood before her before looking at the scarlet-haired mage that was holding her seventh huge piece of cake while hearts sparkled in redhead's eyes.

"It really was amazing! Welcome home, Lucy!" The blonde smiled when the youngest Strauss sibling latched onto her arm while hugging it close to her.

The celestial mage had come to accept the slight jump that would jolt through her body when one of the fellow guildmates touched her suddenly, but she wouldn't dare pull away from their signs of affection.

"Thanks, Lisanna. I'm really happy I could spend this time with you all, and I want to thank you all for cleaning and taking care of my apartment, as well." The white short-haired woman nodded her head while she unlatched from the blonde's arm with a small smile slipping across her face, making her sapphire eyes twinkle with mirth.

"It was nothing! Levy thought of it, and then enlisted us to help! We wanted to make your stay in Magnolia as comfortable as possible considering everything!" Lucy watched as multiple girls nodded their heads to agree with the youngest takeover wizard, causing the blonde to smile in return.

At that moment, Lucy was finding it hard to remember why she was ever even scared to return to the guild in the first place.

"Since we're all pretty much done with our cake, can we go in the hot spring? I've been really excited about it all day." Wendy shyly spoke up while she held Carla in her arms, a small blush was present on the young slayer's face.

Lucy giggled as she watched not only Lisanna, but Levy agree with the small blue haired girl.

"Juvia thinks that is a great idea! What do you think, Love rival?" The blonde in question smiled but shook her head at Juvia's usual antics.

To think that the rain woman still saw her as a love rival was laughable considering the blonde has already decided to give her heart to the Sabertooth shadow mage, all in due time.

The blonde celestial maiden looked around her and into the faces of the women she had come to love over the time she had been with Fairy Tail.

Their warm smiles and inviting presence had Lucy overjoyed with the feeling of being surrounded by her friends that she considered her family.

Nothing could possibly ruin this night for her, she was slowly feeling all the hurt, sadness and crazy situations from the past few months slip away while she reunited with the Fairy Tail women.

"Sure! Sounds like a plan to me, so let's go!" All the women scattered to gather their things before they all set off down the hall in one big group, causing other visiting guests to move out of the way as they took over the hallway.

How they didn't run into any men from Fairy Tail was an enigma to the blonde, considering there were quite a few of them, and the resort wasn't  _that_  big to begin with.

The ladies changing area was a decent size, but with the number of women from Fairy Tail, plus the other visiting female guests; it felt like the room had suddenly shrunk in size as soon as they all tried to pile into the area. Mira had suggested forming a line so that they could all get in and out as fast as possible, which everyone including the other guests, agreed with.

Lucy had hesitated before standing in the semi-long line that curved with the hall. The blonde wanted to go last so she found herself making excuses to get out of line so that she could end up the very last in the array of women.

Unfortunately for the blonde, both Yukino and Levy followed her every time before it was Lucy's turn and the blue-haired woman had moved to stand behind her, forcing the blonde to fess up to her intentions.

"Can I please go last? I think I need a little time to myself for a moment." The celestial fairy pleaded while she glanced between the two women, not wanting to look desperate, but still wanting to get her point across.

Both the women reluctantly nodded before each taking their turn to wash and change into a towel for the springs.

"If you feel like you are ready to go home, just tell us. No one will be upset." Lucy nodded while watching both the script mage and her fellow celestial wizard leave the changing area to head to the water where the other women were waiting.

The blonde let out a shaky sigh as she pushed her bangs back with one of her hands before she went to sit on one of the shower stools while still fully clothed. When she had blindly agreed to visit the hot springs, she had forgotten one vital aspect to this particular resort.

_There was no clothing or towels allowed in the spring's water._

It hadn't occurred to the blonde up until she had noticed the sign posted with all the rules that she had absentmindedly read while waiting for her turn to wash up and change. The reality that she would have to show off her nude body to not only her guildmates but various strangers as well, had her self-conscious about the number of gnarly scars she'd obtained in the past months.

Of course, the fairy still dressed a little less than modestly, but she at least -for the most part- had made some minor changes to make sure that most of the major damage that had been inflicted on her body remained covered.

She didn't want pity, and she didn't want people to see just how badly torn up she had been if even Wendy's magic hadn't been enough to heal her scars.

Lucy's hesitate hands reached for the hem of her shirt before pulling the fabric over her head to drop to the floor. Refusing to look in the mirror to her left, the blonde quickly made work of her bottoms in much the same way before she was sitting alone and naked in the changing area.

Another uneven intake of breath, and the blonde finally looked at her reflection.

Lucy felt a wave of nausea hit her when she felt bile rise in the back of her throat while she looked at the bare and naked women that mirrored her disgusted look.

She was repulsive to look at.

Every scar and every mark reminded her that she had been a complete stranger's play toy, nothing more than a source of entertainment to be used and tossed away like garbage.

The blonde ran her hand over her scared abdomen, feeling the raised uneven white flesh as her finger's cascaded over the once open wound.

Lucy didn't want anyone to see the hideous monstrosity that was her body, not ever again. Because in truth besides Levy and Yukino, none of the other women even knew what she had actually been through to receive such horrific scarification.

Lucy stared into the deep chocolate eyes that mirrored her sorrow and despair. Despite not wanting any of the other women to see her, the blonde still found herself longing to join the women that had made her feel so comfortable and accepted.

If only she was still the same person that she'd been before the grand magic games, if only she had been dealt a better hand in life; maybe she would have been able to enjoy a soak in the hot springs with her friends.

But now?

She didn't think it would even be a possibility for her.

A sob slipped past Lucy's lips while she leaned over to rest her head within her palms as she let her elbows press into her thighs. The blonde could feel her body beginning to shake violently, whether it was because of her crying or the cool draft that ghosted over her naked body, she wasn't sure.

She didn't want to be the type of person that sits and cries about things that just couldn't be changed, but she couldn't stop the tears as they leaked from the corners of her eyes.

How was she supposed to keep going on like this? How could she have been so stupid to think that she was ever getting better?

She didn't want to be broken anymore.

Lucy's nails dug into her scalp while she tried with all her might to return to the person she had once been, even though she knew that was an impossibility.

* * *

"Yo, Rogue! Toss me that towel, dude!" The ebony haired slayer felt a tick mark form on his forehead while his fellow Sabertooth slayer pranced around nude in the men's changing room, a care-free grin plastered across his face.

All the other Fairy Tail wizards had made their way to the water, leaving the two Sabers to wash last.

After the incident with Sting blabbing about Lucy's private information, the men had all decided to go to the hot spring. Of course, the white dragon slayer had to drag Rogue along even though he wasn't that fond of any type hot spring to begin with. He was really only there because he wanted Lucy to continue having a good time.

"Take it and get out of here if you're already done!" The dark-haired saber threw the towel a little too hard, causing the guild master to crash to the ground when it impacted with his head.

A few cusses at the shadow mage, and more bickering between the two and the blonde slayer was finally out of the room, leaving Rogue to have some peace and quiet for a change.

Rogue had already washed and changed into his towel, but he just wanted to take a moment to regain his composure once again. The high of Lucy's happiness had faded, which had come to let him know that it was actually Lucy herself that had lost the feeling of happiness for some reason.

The slayer leaned against the wall while he felt for the blonde woman through their bond.

_Why is she feeling lonely and resentment when she was just happy not even fifteen minutes ago?_

Rogue had hoped that her feelings would change much like they always did with her wild mood swings, and while he had been right; the change had taken a turn for the worst.

The ebony haired saber found himself holding onto his chest when an alarming amount of emotional anguish flooded through him from their shared bond, causing his shadow magic to react by urging him to go to her, to comfort her and take the pain away.

The shadow mage didn't even take a moment to consider the consequences before he gave into his dragon instincts so willingly. As the dark wisps of shadows engulfed him into the darkness, Rogue couldn't stop his mind from reeling from the intangible amount of pain that had his body hurting as well.

The trip to find Lucy didn't take long as it would seem she wasn't even that far away, just in the women's changing room. However, seeing her curled in on herself while sitting on the cold tile floor did have the shadow mage alarmed; especially when she was far too busy crying to even notice him approaching her.

Rogue knelt down in front of the blonde before he put his hand on her cheek. She jumped from the contact of his fingers brushing her soft skin, but the feeling of both their magic reaching out for one another had her unwilling to reject his touch.

"Lucy... Lucy, look at me." Lucy sniffled before she leaned into the familiar touch of the shadow mage while he rested one of his hands on her cheek; he used the other to tilt her head so that she was forced to stare into his questioning scarlet irises.

Rogue's heart broke while he stared at her tear glossed chocolate eyes.

"What happened? What's wrong?" The ebony haired mage watched as the blonde leaned her head on his bare chest before she hiccupped from the force of a deep breath, causing her body to shutter. The dragon slayer waited patiently for the woman to calm down enough to speak.

"I don't.. I don't want anyone to see my body.. It's hideous." Crimson eyes widened before the slayer gently pushed the woman back from his body so he could look at her clearly. It was only then that he noticed that she was only clad in one of the inn's white fluffy towels, causing a dark blush to spread across Rogue's face.

He pulled the blonde back towards his body so that he could wrap his arms around the upset fairy, he refused to look at her body since that was the very reason she was upset.

"I'm such an embarrassment... This was a horrible idea. I'm such an idiot for not realizing this sooner. Can we just go home now?" Rogue's arm tightened around the sobbing woman while he grits his teeth together. The celestial mage had been having such a wonderful time with her guildmates up until this point and he didn't want her to let something as trivial as the scars of her abuse be the deciding factor in her happiness and reconnection with a family.

They would love her no matter what she looked like, and she should know that.

"Lucy…" Rogue tilted the celestial mage's face up to where her glistening brown orbs were staring right into his. It pained the slayer to see such hopelessness in those beautiful eyes he had come to love staring into. The shadow wizard wanted nothing more than to take her pain away from her and show her just how gorgeous she really is.

Rogue moved her hair off of her shoulder where he rubbed his thumb over a small raised white scar before leaning down to kiss it. The shadow mage let his other hand trail down her body before grabbing a hold of her clenched hand.

Rogue continued to pepper Lucy's shoulder with small kisses as he intertwined their hands together before he brought their joined extremities up so that he could kiss the soft skin of the back of her hand. The blonde's sniffles slowly died down when the slayer felt adoration and fascination touch his heart through their shared bond.

He could only hope that she could feel his own emotions as well.

The slayer stood up, bringing the blonde with him as he turned the woman around to where her back was pressed against his chest. Rogue used his hands to swipe her hair off her upper back so that he could lean down and trail his lips over the large burn scar that covered her otherwise pale skin. The shadow mage smirked when he felt Lucy shiver before a soft gasp met his ears.

"You're gorgeous. Every part of you is beautiful and every scar on your body is proof of your survival and bravery, Lucy." Rogue moved back up to wrap his arms around her waist while he leaned his chin on her shoulder before nuzzling his nose into the juncture of her collarbone and neck. He let out a soft groan when he felt her small hands reach back to slip into his hair while she arched her back, causing her rear to press against his now growing erection.

"Rogue… I can't just accept the way I look like you can…" The slayer listened to the celestial mage's voice crack while the smell of salt from her tears was still potent in the room. Despite her approval of his touch, she still was conflicted with her emotions.

How could he show her that she has nothing to worry about?

The Sabertooth slayer removed his arms from the blonde before he pushed her to sit on the small stool that was placed in one the changing room's shower stalls before turning to shut and lock the door. Rogue honestly didn't know how to change her mind about joining her friends in the springs, but he did want to show her how much he really did mean that he thought ever part of her was beautiful.

Maybe in doing so, she would be convinced that it wasn't as big of a deal as she originally thought.

"Do you trust me, Lucy?" The Sabertooth member really wanted to know, he had been wondering how much their bond had started to grow over the course of their time together, and he could honestly say he was curious to see what the answer was from the blonde woman he had come to adore in such a short time.

"I trust you a lot more than I ever thought I would, Rogue." The slayer practically growled his approval while he moved to turn on the overhead waterspout that was hanging above their heads, causing the blonde to yelp from the cold water that spewed out of the head with a low groan as the water pressure increased.

"What are you doing!?" Lucy practically jumped from the stool to move out of the spray of now lukewarm water as it splashed all around them, it was just then that she noticed that the male was only clad in a white towel of his own that hung low on his hips.

A pink blush dusted over the celestial wizard's face while she pressed her back into the stall wall, away from the ebony haired male.

"I thought I could help prepare you for the spring. I assumed you hadn't made it that far before I arrived here. You can leave the towel on if you want." Rogue lifted his brow as he watched, and felt, multiple emotions flicker through the blonde mage before she hesitantly went to sit back on the stool under the warm spray of the water once again.

The dragon slayer repressed a chuckle when her blush only intensified the closer he came to her now soaking wet body.

"I won't do anything you don't want me to do." A nod of Lucy's head was all the permission that he needed before he began to massage the woman sitting in front of him. His fingers slipped across her back with ease as the water and soap combined to create the perfect lubricant for his hands to move across her soaking body.

Soft moans of appreciation slipped from the blonde's lips as Rogue silently tugged on the back of her towel, causing the wet fabric to unravel and slip from the skin of her lower back, allowing the ebony haired male to get an eye full of her curvaceous body. The blonde clutched the soaked fabric tightly to keep the front of her body covered while the slayer skillfully rubbed his hands down the lower part of her back.

Rogue was in sweet torment as his hands slipped over her bare skin, He never thought the blonde would let him go this far with her. He had been sure she was going to slap his hand away as soon as the towel had slipped from her back, but he had been pleasantly surprised when she let out a few whimpers from the loss of contact with his hands.

Her small noises were like beautiful music to ears and caused his increasingly hard erection to strain against the sopping fabric that hung loosely around his hips.

The dragon slayer let his hands run through her silken strands of now dark blonde hair as he continued to wash away her fears. All he wanted her to focus on was his touch and his touch alone. There was no worry about her body, there would be no overwhelming emotions on how she thought of herself.

There was only him and her,  _together_.

Rogue moved around to stand in front of her, taking note of her serene demeanor and closed eyes to her slightly parted lips as the water splashed around her bare shoulders causing it to cascade down, past the heavily wet towel that she loosely clung to.

Oh, how much he ached for this naively gorgeous woman that sat peacefully in front of him. Another moan, louder than the last slipped past her parted lips when Rogue rested his hand on her exposed thigh.

A lengthy groan was his response before he unwittingly leaned in to kiss her pink lips.

As soon as Rogue realized what he was doing he moved to lean back but was surprised when small hands moved to grab at his soaking wet hair. Finger's tangled within his wet locks while he felt her return his kiss, almost as feverish as he had started it.

The dragon slayer moved his hands to her now completely exposed waist as he held her in place while trying to dominate the kiss once again. He could feel his own towel threating to slip dangerously low as his aching hard-on twitched with the need for attention.

" _Oh, Rogue..."_

Fuck the towel.

Fuck the damn stupid towel.

Rogue moved Lucy's head to the side just as his towel finally slipped from his body causing it to hit the floor with a heavy slap. He sucked on her neck as the mewls from the gorgeous blonde had him practically insane with want.

He wanted her, and nothing else. His mind was full of only Lucy and her erotic sounds as she moved her hands from his hair to glide down his chest and abdomen, where they hesitated.

" _Lucy…"_  Rogue removed his lips from her neck and shoulder to look at the blonde who had an uncertain look on her face when she moved slightly lower. Rogue let out a lengthy groan that almost turned into a whine when her hand hit the sensitive tip of his enlarged cock, the sensation driving him up the wall with lust.

Lucy must have been able to feel his desire and desperation through their bond, that's the only thing Rogue could think, because her small hand moved with renewed confidence to wrap around his shaft, causing a delighted groan to bubble up from his chest.

Even just her holding his engorged manhood felt amazing. The feel of her soft palm as it experimentally slid up and down his wet member made him weak to his knees, causing the blonde to giggle from his reaction.

"Do you like that, Rogue? I have been wanting to try this for a while. You know? It happened in one of my dreams before." Rogue moved his head to where it was lying on her shoulder when she pumped him at a faster pace, causing him to only groan his response.

Hopefully, she understood that he didn't just like it, he loved it. The shadow mage had never had another hand beside his own working up and down his staff, and to say that the man was in complete bliss would be an understatement.

However, even though he was enjoying the feeling of Lucy's hands as it worked him over, the shadow slayer would not be happy until he knew that she was just as fulfilled as he.

The Sabertooth slayer moved one of his hands down to her full chest, before kneading the soft flesh with his palm, causing the blonde to release a mewl of pleasure while her pace faltered.

Rogue grinned while he let his other hand slid down even further until it was in between the celestial mage's partly spread thighs.

" _Ro- Rogue…"_  Rogue kissed the woman's neck as he let his already slick thumb rub slow circles around the blonde's sensitive pearl, causing her to shudder and whimper from the agonizingly slow torture from the pleasurable contact.

Her legs opened wider, letting he continued his assault on her clit while she continued to pump his cock.

" _I want you to cum with me, Luce…"_ his voice was harsh, even to his own ears when his instincts took hold. He had started to rock his hips to meet her fast pace thrusts. Letting out a snarl the ebony haired slayer moved to sheath two fingers within her tight folds, making the fairy rock against his fingers as they pistoned within her heated core.

" _Rogue… I'm so close, I can't hold it anymore."_  The shadow dragon slayer moaned as her hand glided over his aching cock. He was close as well, but he had to make sure that Lucy came with him. Rogue moved to kiss her when he felt her walls clamp down on his finger as he felt his orgasm wash over him in a white-hot blazing inferno in the pit of his stomach while his pleasure intensified as his seed emptied in long thick spurts.

The shadow mage slipped his tongue into her wet cavern, covering her wanton cries as she ground against his hand while her orgasm rocked through her body. The water causing her to shudder as Rogue continued to piston his fingers within her as she rode out her orgasm.

The two mages broke from the kiss, each panting with small pink blushed adorning their faces as they moved away from one another. The emotions they had both felt while at the moment had intensified their orgasms while they feed off of each other's pleasure.

Shadow magic filled the small stall as it swirled and danced around them, rubbing soothingly against their skin while the dark wisps slowly started to dissipate as the two wizards came down from their euphoric high.

Rogue moved to lather his hands with soap before cleaning the evidence of his pleasure from Lucy's hands and stomach. He took his time cleaning the front of her body while whispering sweet words to her.

* * *

Levy and Yukino had both been worried when almost thirty minutes had gone by and Lucy had yet to show up at the water, so the two had both decided to go back and check on her. However, when they were almost to the women's changing area they were surprised to see not only Sting, but Gray and Gajeel standing outside of the doorway.

"What the hell are you perverts doing? Trying to get a peek at some women, huh?" Yukino moved away from the small blue haired woman as she could tell her temper had spiked to an alarmingly high rate, causing all of the men to shrink back in fear of the small woman.

"Nah, you got it all wrong. We were looking for Rogue. He never showed up after I left him in the changing room. So we followed his scent here. I don't think any of you wanna go in there though. It seems like things are gettin' hot and heavy." Both of the women blushed causing Levy's temper to fade with the news that the men had only been trying to find their friend as well.

" _Oh, Rogue.."_ All of the mages outside of the door moved away quickly at the very loud and feminine mewl that echoed through the changing room.

"Damn! Ryos and bunny sure are getting it on a lot lately!" Gajeel cackled while he moved away from the door to walk back to the men's spring.

"Alright, well we will see you, ladies, sometime later, bye, Yuki!" Sting winked at the silverette before following after the iron dragon slayer.

"Wait. WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN 'GETTING IT ON A LOT'? Lucy's like my sister damn it! I don't want to hear this shit." The ice-make wizard followed after the two slayers while shaking his fists in the air.

The two girls looked at one another before giggling, if Lucy was with Rogue, then they knew they could leave their blonde friend in the capable hands of the shadow mage.

* * *

_**First of all, let me say that I am so sorry it took a while for me to post this chapter. I have been having some family issues and I haven't had much free time lately. Because of these issues, it might take me a little longer to update. Right now, my current situation is unstable and I have multiple people looking to me for support, so I will try to update when I can.** _

_**Not long ago, I started to rewrite the ending to this story because I wasn't satisfied with how I had originally left it, back then I had all the free time in the world and I knew I could get it finished before my updates caught up with me. Now? Not so much. All I can ask is for all of you to please be patient with me. I know that things will be back to normal eventually, I just don't know when.** _

_**Thank you, all!** _


	23. Chapter 23

**WARNING:  Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**This chapter is Beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should go check them out!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 23**

* * *

Wisps of black tendrils licked at the shadow mage's skin as his slayer magic covered his body. The inky translucent magic slid across his flesh until he was fully immersed in the shadows, away from prying eyes. The tendrils danced over his body while they acted as a cloak for his damp half-naked form, shielding him from any curious eyes as he made his way to where the other male occupants of the resort were still soaking in the spring's medicinal water.

The ebony haired slayer sighed as he neared what was the designated area for the male guests, Rogue had hoped that the inevitable chaos that was sure to erupt from the rowdy male members of Fairy Tail plus his blonde partner would be enough of a distraction that no one would notice his arrival into the already chaotic spring, but of course, his hopes were dashed as he emerged from the shadows away from the water's rocky edge.

"Well, would you look who finally decided to come join the party!" Rogue inwardly sighed, he should have known that if anyone was going to be able to notice his presence, it would be Sting. The ruby-eyed Saber ignored his idiotic blonde master's comment while he pulled up the towel that had started to slip lower on his hips before he sat on a rock at the edge of the water.

Rogue knew it was naïve of him to think that if he just ignored the curious glances from multiple of the males, that he would be able to avoid the obvious questions that were burning not only in his fellow Sabertooth slayer but quite a few of the Fairy Tail mage's eyes as well.

Even if the shadow wizard had wanted to fake ignorance as to the whereabouts of his absence, he could tell by the smirks plastered on not only Sting but Gray's and Gajeel's faces that he had already been found out.

The thought of having both the white and iron dragon slayer once again listening in on his private intimate relationship was one thing, but now even Gray had seemed to be in on making Rogue feel like a complete and total pervert when it came to the sweet celestial maiden.

A knot formed in the pit of the ebony haired mage's stomach as he watched the three close in on where he was sitting.

"You wouldn't have been with a certain blonde haired bunny, now would you, Ryos? I thought I told you that we were having a guy's night." Rogue grinned as he was able to maneuver his body fast enough away from the heavy arm that was about to swing over his shoulder only to have that victorious smirk fall while his 'brother' cackled when the younger ebony haired mage found himself trapped in another person's headlock.

Rogue hadn't anticipated that Sting would jump out of the water to catch him, the dark-haired Saber gasped when he was pulled from the water's edge and into the water.

"For real, Rogue! You don't see me sneaking off to see Yukino or iron ass here seeing little miss blue. Can't you give it a rest for one night? You're so wrapped around that little Blondie's finger, which makes trying to separate you two almost impossible!" Cracks of male laughter filled the vicinity as the ebony haired saber tried his best to hide the small blush that had started to heat his face from the rest of the group while also trying to shrug off the arms of his guild master that were still firmly clasped above his shoulder.

The shadow slayer slipped from the blonde's grasp before whacking him upside the head and mumbling under his breath about obnoxious master's and fairies. He could only hope that the crimson hue dusting his cheeks had begun to fade when he fished the now soaked towel out of the spring before throwing it on to a nearby rock. Of course, Rogue knew that he and Lucy were together a lot, but what was he supposed to do? Let the feeling of despair consume her?

_Yeah, right. Not a fucking chance_.

"Oh, really? I don't see any reason as to why it matters. Lucy needed me, and I wasn't about to leave her to deal with things herself. Mock me if you want, but it was the right thing to do. On to the next subject." The dark-haired saber shot a glance over at his fellow slayers before turning his head to look up at the open sky.

Rogue never really cared for any type of hot springs, but if he did have to chose he would say that open aired springs were the best.

"Hey, no reason to get defensive, now. But in all seriousness, Is Luce okay? You said that she needed you for something?" Rogue knew if he was able to get along with anyone in Fairy Tail it would definitely be Gray.

The raven-haired male just had that brotherly feel when it came to Lucy, and it made Rogue feel that much better talking to him about things that concerned her- because he could tell that the ice-make mage honestly did have the blonde's best interest in mind.

"She's was having difficulty coming to terms with her body image, but she is fine now. " Rogue watched the raven-haired male nod before they both turned to the sound of loud laughter.

The cackling of the fire mage caused the ebony haired male to glare at him.

Honestly, Rogue didn't know how someone could be so obnoxious, especially when it came to a subject as sensitive as this. Lucy really had been hurt, how could he think that it was funny?

"What are you talking about? Luce has never been concerned with her body like that! Especially around her nakama." The wielder of shadows grits his teeth, his fist forming to tight balls as he refrained from knocking sense into the oblivious pyro that was perched on a submerged rock.

If only he knew what the blonde had actually gone through, if only he knew just what she was going through.

If only the fire dragon slayer knew exactly how big of a step Lucy was taking, he wouldn't say something so utterly wrong and insensitive.

Of course, the ebony haired slayer knew that Natsu was the only one that had been left of the loop when it came to Lucy's real situation, but did the slayer have to be that damn dense to understand that Lucy had taken a lot of damage to her body?

Any woman in her right mind would have some type of inner conflict on her self-image, even if she still looked damn gorgeous with her scars.

The shadow dragon slayer shook his head while he refused to look at the obvious slayer. Lucy would always feel the pain of the wounds that had been inflicted on her, and the salmon haired mage refusing to acknowledge the truth was sickening to the shadow mage.

"Knock it off, Natsu. I'm getting so fucking tired of your petty vendetta against the emo tiger. If blondie really is his mate, you're just going to have to get the fuck over it. Not to mention, can't you tell your constant over protectiveness of Lucy is hurting Lisanna's feelings? Or are you really that much of a fucktard?" Rogue's eyes widened while he whipped his head around to stare at the older artificial slayer.

He had never once thought that the dirty blonde lightning mage would be on his side, but Rogue couldn't help but silently agree, even if he did just call him an emo. It was good to know that there was someone else there that could keep the fire mage in check.

"Whadaya' mean, Laxus? Lisanna's fine! She knows I care about Luce, she understands that I only want what's best for her." The salmon haired slayer didn't get another word out before the blonde fairy grabbed him and pressed him into a rock, completely ignoring the fact that they were both naked.

A small smirk found its way on the dark-haired Saber, seeing Natsu take heat from someone else was nice for a change, and from what Rogue could tell, it was personal to the lightning mage.

"Natsu you are a fucking moron. Because of you, I have to listen to Mira constantly talk about how her poor little sister is heartbroken over how much you've been obsessing over blondie, do you think that is what I want to do in my free time with my woman? Lisanna is my little sister now too, so you better get your act together and make things right. You can start by working things out with the emo and swallowing your fucking pride. Lucy is technically his, and from what I can tell, she doesn't have a damn problem with it. So you shouldn't either if you want what's best for her." Laxus dropped the gaping salmon haired slayer before moving to the other side of the spring where Bickslow and Freed were, the blue-haired seith mage snickering at the lecture the pyro had just received from the blonde slayer.

"That's right, Natsu! Be a real man and consider my little sis's feels for once. You know damn well what Laxus is talking about, after all, he's a real man!" Natsu just rolled his eyes at the white-haired beast of a man while rubbing his sore shoulders.

"Salamander, Rogue here has been taking _real_   _good care_ of Bunny girl. She definitely doesn't have a problem with being with him." Rogue tried to shrug the arm that had been slung over his shoulder off, but realized it was a futile attempt as the iron mage had a death grip on him. The ebony haired saber tried his best to look the other way so no one would see the crimson color that had started to fill his cheeks with the implied meaning Gajeel had shoved into that sentence.

The crimson eyed tiger jumped a little when he felt an icy cold hand grip his free shoulder before looking over to see a smirking Gray next to him. A small smirk spreading across his face as the raven haired mage caused the water to cool off significantly, making the iron mage jump back from the cold spot.

"Oh yeah, Rogue I didn't realize that yours and my  _little sister's_  relationship had developed so quickly. Just what have you done to her, eh?" Rogue gulped when the water temperature continued to drop until jagged ice started to form on the surface of the water, while his hand squeezed his shoulder a little harder than what would be considered friendly.

The ebony haired shadow slayer looked around, hoping that Sting would be willing to help him, but when he noticed that even he had retreated to a farther part of the spring while cackling with both Gajeel and Natsu.  _What a damn traitor._

A bright light filtered in throughout the opened spring as a naked spirit stepped out of their gate, causing both Rogue and Gray to squint from the unexpected bright golden light.

"Come on now, Gray. As much I don't want to stop you, you know my princess wouldn't like it if you and the emo bastard got in a fight. As much as I hate to admit it, he treats her well." Rogue breathed a sigh of relief when the raven-haired man let his grip slacken before the water started to regain the warmth it once had before Gray had decided to take on the role of a protective older brother.

"Awh fucking come on, Loke! I was actually rooting for ice princess for once!" Rogue grit his teeth as he listened to the obnoxious pinkette.

The ruby-eyed saber was really starting to question just exactly how Lucy was even able to handle being around the fire mage for more than a few minutes. Though of course, he could only assume that the same could be said about him and Sting as well.

* * *

"Shut the fuck up, Natsu. You and Rogue really need to settle your differences, for my princess's sake. You don't want to put any more stress on her than she already has, right?" The spirit flicked his eyes from both Natsu and Rogue, analyzing their reactions.

Regardless of how Natsu felt, Rogue was secretly hoping that the salmon haired slayer would relent and finally realize just how important it would be for them to actually get along.

Crimson eyes met burning onyx as they glanced at one another before Natsu averted his gaze and scratched the back of his head. The salmon-haired pyro knew Loke was right, but the thought of actually being civil with the dark-haired Sabertooth mage had his gut doing backflips.

Natsu didn't know why, but something felt like if he was to stop giving Rogue a hard time, it would almost be like he was admitting his defeat and the ebony haired mage would make off back to Sabertooth with his blonde best friend in tow.

The onyx-eyed male was afraid the blonde would up and leave Fairy Tail just to be with Rogue at Sabertooth, and that thought stung the fire mage more than he would ever like to admit. He was worried that he wouldn't see Lucy anymore, and he wasn't ready to let the blonde go.

He wasn't ready for her to become just another memory.

_But if it was for Lucy's happiness?_

Would he let go of his best friend for the sake of her happiness? Would he give up a vital part of his family to let her be with the man she was destined to be with?

As much as it hurt him, he knew the answer was yes. If his blonde celestial mage told him that she was happy with the shadow dragon slayer, and that being with him was what she truly wanted, Natsu knew without a doubt that he would let her go, no matter how much he wanted things to stay the way they were.

His main concern was, did she really feel that way?

Come to think of it, he had been so excited about Lucy coming home that he hadn't even given Levy's warning a single thought, and when he saw the blonde for the first time since her departure, he had been so consumed with rage and betrayal that he hadn't even stopped to think about Lucy's feelings.

He never even asked.

He just took action like he always fucking did- thinking that he knew what was best for the blonde fairy, when in fact the woman that he knew had changed, and he was afraid to admit that he didn't know the woman that returned to Fairy tail with the Shadow dragon slayer.

He didn't want to admit that his best friend had changed in just the short agonizing amount of time she had been away from home.

But it was about time that he started to make it right.

Even if Lucy looked and smelled different, she was still Luce, _right_?

Natsu didn't want to be the reason the celestial key holder lost her happiness, and he definitely didn't want to be the reason that Lisanna was upset over how he had been acting. He had seen the way the white-haired mage would frown when he would mention Lucy and Rogue, but he hadn't stopped to think that maybe he was hurting the animal soul take-over mage.

No, Natsu hadn't considered  _anyone's_ feelings but his own the past few months.

"If it's for the sake of Luce's happiness, I'll hear him out." A few shocked intakes of breath sounded throughout the spring caused an irritated tick mark to form on the fire mage's head while multiple guild members including the white dragon slayer pat him on the back, causing him to release a stream of fire from his mouth in irritation.

* * *

Chocolate brown eyes gazed at the harmless door that opened up into the women's side of the hot springs for what felt like ages. Despite having affections bestowed upon her body by the doting dragon slayer, the blonde still couldn't help the uneasiness that washed over her when the celestial mage finally willed her towel-clad body to walk through the entrance into the women's water.

Lucy's nervous orbs scanned the medium-sized pond-like pool of water while clutching the white towel to her shivering body. The blonde released the breath of air that she didn't realize she was holding when her gaze finally landing on a familiar head of silver locks.

Though there were a small number of other women visiting the hot spring this evening, it wasn't hard to see that the group of Fairy Tail mages, including Yukino, took up most of the water.

"Eh? Well, look who finally decided to make an appearance." Brown eyes widened when a slender arm came to wrap around the celestial mage's shoulder when she was caught off guard by a naked and drunk Cana leaning into her still shivering form for support.

The smell of alcohol tickled Lucy nose when the brunette pushed an already open bottle into the celestial mage's hand before leading the nervous blonde to the rest of the group.

"Lucy! For a while there we were thinking you had decided to go home, I'm glad to see that wasn't the case, after all." The celestial mage said a quiet apology for her tardiness to the red-haired knight before eyeing the other celestial maiden and bluenette who happened to be looking at her with small crimson blushes adoring their features. It didn't take the blonde long to notice that both mages also had an alcoholic beverage of their own.

"I'm assuming that Cana snuck in all the booze?" Lucy smirked while moving to sit on one of the vacant rocks close to the two women. The blonde felt the uneasiness in her body lessen the more she noticed that all of the women were mostly preoccupied with their own small chatter to even notice as she quickly unwrapped the towel before submerging her body into the warm hot spring.

The milky medicinal water provided the perfect cover for the blonde's body, the thought reminding her that she could hide away her scars from curious onlookers. The brown-eyed fairy sighed with content when the warm liquid started to melt away the chill that had covered her body on the walk to the spring from the changing room.

"Well, she is Fairy Tail's resident drunk for a reason." Lucy giggled at the petite solid script mage while she perched herself on one of the submerged rocks close to the already tipsy bluenette and silverette. The blonde stared at the amber liquid that swayed from side to side in the glass bottle before glancing at all the other women who also had various drinks of their own.

Lucy sipped the tawny beverage, letting the heavy taste sit on her tongue before swallowing the content. Yet another sigh escaped the celestial mage while she realized that tonight was going to serve as a very interesting and emotional event not only for her, but all the women of her guild.

The women of Fairy Tail were notorious for being hot-tempered and just as rowdy as their male guildmates- however- female fairies plus an abundance of alcohol with nothing but time on their hands have proven time and time again to be an even worse combination.

Well, they were a disaster waiting to happen.

The blonde suppressed a small giggle when it threatened to slip from her pink lips at the thought of what type of shenanigans her and her guildmates would be able to get themselves into this time.

"Soooo, Lucy… Mind telling me a little more about yours and Rogue's relationship?" The blonde in question visibly gulped as the Fairy Tail's very own pale haired gossip slid up to her with a sickly sweet smile while tilting her head ever so slightly to the right. The celestial key holder looked from both the bluenette to the silver-haired celestial mage in hopes of salvation, but soon realized that both women were also looking at her just as curiously as the white-haired woman.

_Damn the fucking booze._

"Yes, Lucy. I'm curious as well, is what Natsu said true? Are you Rogue's mate?" Erza's authoritative voice caught the slightly uneasy blonde's attention causing the woman to feel a faint crimson blush dust over her body when she realized that almost all attention had been directed to her.

A rather large group had started to form around Lucy when the curious females gravitated towards Fairy Tail's celestial spirit mage.

Lucy had understood that because of the obnoxious insinuations from the salmon haired slayer yesterday, she and the shadow dragon slayer had become the hottest gossip and the talk of the guild- So she had anticipated being cornered at some point by the snow colored haired barmaid.

The blonde just didn't expect it to be confronted naked, while still in the hot springs surrounded by obviously tipsy and drunken comrades, who wouldn't take no for an answer.

Lucy knew that Natsu's word vomit had got a lot of things wrong, but in the end, what he said about being Rogue's mate was partially true.

The blonde took a quick swig of her drink before deciding that if she was going to get through this conversation, she was going to need a lot more liquid courage than just the few sips she had been taking.

Lucy held up her finger while she threw her head back before chugging the remaining content of the bottle, only stopping when all of the amber liquid had vanished down her throat.

"I'm going to need at least one more of these before I start spilling anything about my love life." The celestial mage dangled the now empty bottle in the air before the smooth glass was promptly taken from her grasp then replaced with a brand new unopened bottle, courtesy of Cana.

The brunette clinked her bottle with the blonde's before giving Lucy a wink while taking a swig of her own.

"Unlike Mira and Yukino, you've technically been marked by two slayers, Lu. In the few books that I've read, I couldn't find anything like your situation. Not to mention, we've only ever come across 7 dragon slayers and one dragon in our lifetime- if we don't count the Eclipse Gate fiasco-" Lucy frowned as memories from the Eclipse gate flittered into the forethoughts of her mind before refocusing on what the petite solid script mage was saying.

"Information is so scarce on this subject that it's basically lost in time." The blonde felt her eyes glaze over while Levy's ramblings unintentionally sent her thoughts back to the day her life had changed.

The day the Eclipse Gate was opened.

Back then, the blonde would have never- even in her wildest of dreams- have thought that she would end up mated to a dragon slayer, especially not by the same man that had tried to kill her. Then on top of that to be mated by yet another slayer who in a sense was the same person? It was a lot to comprehend for the blonde's already tipsy brain.

Wide brown eyes flicked from the blue-haired woman to the silver-haired celestial mage before a piece of what Levy said finally registered into her already sluggish mind.

"Wait, Yukino… Are you Sting's mate now?" Lucy was brought back to reality when the white-haired barmaid let out a delighted squeal. The blonde's eyes widen even further as she openly gawked at the now crimson-faced Sabertooth wizard.

Lucy felt joy wash over her when she realized the blonde slayer and silverette finally got together like the Sabertooth celestial mage had been hoping for.

The silverette shyly nodded, causing a multitude of fairies to scream in joy for their Sabertooth guest. Lucy smiled as Yukino tried to cover her crimson face by sinking even deeper into the murky water. At least the blonde was able to avert all the attention from her for the moment.

"Congratulation, Yuki! I'm so happy for you and Sting!" The blonde sent the Sabertooth woman a genuine smile before it slowly slipped into a frown as another question slipped into her thoughts.

"Why am I the only one that has the slayer's markings, though?" The question came out of Lucy's mouth before she could stop it. However, she really was curious. Mira didn't have any markings either, only the blonde celestial mage.

"I actually have a few theories for that." The blonde looked over at her partially drunk blue haired guildmate. Leave it to Levy to try and figure out all the answers to the hard questions before they are even asked.

"What if the markings are some type of identification of courtship? Or maybe it's because you have two different types of shadow magic in you and neither mating has been completed?" The blonde mulled over the thought.

In all honesty, there was sense to both theories but they could never be certain since they don't know any dragons or older slayers that actually know what the meaning behind the markings is.

"It's possible, but I don't know if we will ever figure it out." The blonde took a sip of her drink before trying to sense Rogue through their bond. She could feel a little hint of amusement so Lucy figured he must be having somewhat of a good time.

"How do you feel about Rogue, Lucy?" The short white haired take over mage came to lean against the edge of the rock the blonde was sitting on, sapphire eyes sparkling with genuine curiosity to know her guild mate's thoughts of the mysterious shadow mage.

Lucy felt her heart skip a beat when an image of the tall dark haired slayer came into her thoughts. The feeling of serenity and security followed the thought.

What did Lucy truly think of Rogue?

The blonde absolutely adored him.

Lucy felt her mouth part to say just that but thought better of it from the look of pure exhilaration from the youngest take over mage's older sister when she leaned in with hearts protruding out of her eye sockets.

As much as the celestial spirit mage would love to spill her guts, she didn't need the she-devil plotting secret dates and other sappy romantic things like that for her and the slayer.

"He's sweet." The blonde finally decided on while a blush adorned her already alcohol flushed cheeks. The Fairy Tail women who had been waiting to hear what she thought of the male groaned in frustration because of the woman's tight-lipped demeanor.

"That's it? Sweet?" The barmaid looked at the celestial key holder incredulously. Honestly, the blonde wasn't giving the she-devil anything to work with.

"Alright, since you won't tell us, I guess we'll be forced to take everything that Natsu said as the truth." The blonde spit out the sip of beer she currently had in her mouth before looking at the smirking she-devil.

_How dare she!_

"I want to be his mate, okay? I really,  _really_ like Sabertooth's mysterious dragon slayer. Is that what you want to hear? Are you all satisfied now?" The blonde sunk lower into the water, much like her fellow celestial mage had done earlier when all eyes had been on her.

Damn that she-devil.

"Partly, but I am slightly confused. Why aren't you Rogue's mate? From what Natsu said, you've already slept with him?" Genuine curiosity slipped across the now prying white-haired beauty's face. The question had caused the blonde to gasp slightly, realizing that Lucy had been foolish to think that Mira wouldn't catch that snag within the story, after all- she was the first and only woman that they had known to be mated to a dragon slayer up until a few minutes ago.

Wide honey brown eyes met the two other equally as shocked gazes of Yukino and Levy. Both women floundered while they tried to come up with a distraction to spare the blonde from the painful memories that were sure to come from the conversation if it continued in the direction it was going.

However, before either of the women could come up with an excuse, they were silenced by the blonde's soft voice.

"I haven't slept with Rogue." Besides the mindless chatter of the other women that had been enjoying the hot spring, the ladies around Lucy were silent. The blonde knew if she didn't have any alcohol in her system she would feel some type of anxiety, some type of embarrassment, but the blonde just felt numb to any emotions.

In all honestly, Lucy had become exhausted from everyone's insinuations, and tired of tiptoeing around the subject when it would obviously get brought up again if she didn't silence the nasty rumors now.

At the very least while she had the help of the liquid alcoholic courage coursing through her lightweight body.

The blonde gazed on in eerie silence while a drunken fog took over her brain while most of the women's faces went from confusion to shocked revelation then to bone-crushing guilt.

"I.. I had no idea.. Lucy, I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am.." The celestial mage observed the white-haired barmaid while she bent her head down in as deep of a bow the take over mage could go before having her face submerged into the murky water of the hot springs.

"It's fine. Better to let it out while I'm tipsy than reliving the experience while I'm sober.." The blonde took in the many faces of her guildmates, all mirrors of the same expressions full of shock.

Somber animosity and self-loathing that wasn't from the blonde this time, radiated in waves from her female friends.

While the blonde had a month to come to terms with what had happened, it still wasn't enough time to heal, but it was enough time to accept and come to terms with the fact that she had been tarnished.

Sometimes Lucy would talk about it with Yukino, or even Rogue when she couldn't sleep. Something about knowing that she had someone to talk to made her cope a little easier.

"On your mission when you were hurt?" The blonde was too numb to register who had voiced the question but nodded her head in silent confirmation regardless.

"You are the bravest woman I have ever had the honor of knowing, Lucy." The celestial spirit mage could feel the bone-crushing hug that the scarlet haired woman had pulled her into, but she couldn't bring herself to even wince from the amount of force the redhead used.

_Numb._

The only thing the celestial mage could really feel was an invisible weight being lifted from her shoulders and it felt _good_.

She didn't bother to try and worry about the repercussions of letting her secret be known to the female members of the guild. The blonde let her hazy mind be soothed by the sloshing of the spring's water while the liquid moved back and forth from the movement of the fairies as they all crowded around to give the celestial mage an awkward and very naked group hug.

Warmth spread throughout Lucy's body when she felt her alcoholic induced mind lock out all her worries for the night, all that mattered right now was she was home with her family and she was finally letting them know what happened to her.

The embarrassment, fear, and anxiety could wait until later because right now Lucy was determined to enjoy her time with her female companions, even if it was all just becoming an alcoholic blur.

* * *

Heavy chains drug against the filthy cement floor, causing the annoying high pitch scraping to ring throughout the silent cell that lay in the eerie darkness of night. The soft glow of orange flames illuminated the otherwise pitch dark unit while the male slowly chipped away at the magic resistant anklet's binding his feet together.

Images of golden blonde hair and a pink guild emblem flashed through the maddened male's mind causing him to work harder on loosening the metal bindings.

It had taken the mage no more than a month to finally chip away at just one of the cuffs around his wrists before moving on to work on the chains and cuffs around his ankles. The male was finding his limited intelligence useful as he memorized the rune knight's schedules. It didn't take the male too long to realize that the council's army had left a small window of only 6 minutes of unsupervised time to unknowingly let him work on his drawn-out plan of escape.

A diabolical chuckle slipped past the man's mouth when the final locking mechanism holding the cuff together was chipped away to release his raw ankle.

A flash of torchlight was seen coming from around the bend in the hall, alerting the once shackled mage that his 6 minute window had drawn to a close. The male quickly threw the cuff back on to foreign entrapment just as the rune knight forcefully slid his evening meal under the minuscule opening of the cell.

The knight looked on at the prisoner in disgust when the man moved slightly to pick up the prison tray before eating the lukewarm contents.

Unknowingly to the knight, the mage could feel his magic energy returning to his body now that the chains and cuffs had been deactivated.

A small spark of lightning slipped from the male's fingertips to inconspicuously warm the tray of food when the knight turned his back to tend to other prisoners.

The male grinned when another flash of the blonde woman's crying face slipped into the forethoughts of his mind.

_Soon._


	24. Chapter 24

** WARNING: ** **Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**This chapter is Beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should go check them out!**

* * *

 

**Chapter 24**

* * *

 

"Absolutely fuckin' not." The salmon haired pyro stood from his seat on the ground to point at the half naked ice make mage who was currently smirking like he had thought of the perfect dare to give the flaming bastard.

Which he had.

Earlier while still in the hot springs the men had decided to play a little game of truth or dare when they got back to the room. The fire breathing male had brazenly declared that he would do any dare demanded of him. Though, at the time his partially tipsy mind hadn't even taken into account that any dare meant, well-

_Any_ dare.

Steam lifted from Natsu's salmon pink hair while his face took on a crimson shade purely out of frustration. The slayer had never had any problems with doing any type of dare before, and he had certainly never backed down from one- but he was seriously considering throwing in the towel from this particular request.

"No way, Salamander. You said _any_ dare earlier, remember? Don't be a pansy now." Dismay flittered through the now irritated slayer's onyx eyes before spitting flames out of frustration at the shit eating grin plastered on the iron dragon slayer's face.

"Man, fuck all of you. Every last one of you fuckers." Whistles and catcalls could be heard all throughout the male's rented inn room while Natsu flipped off every single last occupant before opening, then promptly slamming the door shut.

The slayer took in a nervous breath when the sounds of boisterous laughter morphed into feminine giggles the closer he got to the women's rented room. To think that of all the hilarious and gross dares the guys could have subjected him to, they went with something that had the salmon haired positively red faced and embarrassed.

The salon haired mage stood petrified when he finally came to stand just outside of the Fairy Tail women's rented inn suite.

_Great. Now, how should I even start?_

The fire mage took a tentative step forward while finally bringing his sweating palm up to knock on the door. It didn't take long for the slayer to register the sounds of clumsy footsteps padding across the floor before a loud bang was heard on just the other side. Feminine giggles and louder laughter pierced the male's ears when the door was flung open to reveal a heavily intoxicated Titania.

"Ah, good! More entertainment has arrived, ladies!" The scarlet haired woman didn't even wait for a response from the now confused slayer before the drunken redhead dragging him across the door's threshold and into the women's room, causing feminine squeals of both joy and surprise to filter through the open area.

Onyx eyes scanned the large living area of the rented room, taking in all the intoxicated women- who all seemed to be plotting something devious in a huge circle. The slayer gulped when he realized he must have walked in on some odd woman bonding ritual of some sort when all the women turned to face him while he was shoved down into a chair in the middle of the open area of their circle.

"We were just trying to decide who would go first, but it looks like we don't have to anymore! We have a gracious volunteer." Natsu sweatdropped at the evil glint in the white-haired barmaid's eyes before he glanced at the wide brown orbs of his blonde best friend.

The slayer knew that he and Lucy didn't get off on the best of terms when she first arrived back to Fairy Tail, but he had hope that maybe the blonde would show him some type of mercy and save him from whatever hellish torture the Fairy Tail women had in mind for the poor unsuspecting male.

"N..Natsu! Oh… I have the perfect idea for him" All hope was crushed when the blonde clumsily held out one of her celestial spirit keys before calling on her crab spirit. The blonde blushed and giggled, causing the pink haired male to gaze at her marked arms.

A sinking feeling grew in the pit of Natsu's gut.

"Wonderful idea, Lucy!" An overly excited Lisanna exclaimed when she came to sit right in front of the now weeping slayer. The salmon haired pyro noticed that the pale haired woman's eyes were glazed over, obviously from the amount of alcohol the takeover mage must have consumed in such a short amount of time.

"For cryin'out loud, why me?" A stream of flames erupted from the hot tempted male's mouth before he was promptly doused in water thanks to the blue-haired water wizard. His flames died out when inevitable defeat crossed over his features.

The male hung his head, it was obvious he had no allies here.

"Miss Lucy, it's so good to finally see you again. What can I do for you, baby?" The celestial spirit's voice caught the slayer's attention while his blonde friend seemed to contemplate the question asked.

What exactly did they plan on doing to him?

"Oh, I know! Cancer, can you make Natsu's hair long and curly like a doll? OH!- and don't forget to add a big bow, maybe red?" Natsu could have sworn he felt the force of his jaw hitting the floor as renewed despair gripped his heart like a vice.

This was worse than the dare!

"No problem, baby!" The crab spirit moved behind the now struggling slayer, however, he stopped his attempt to escape when Erza pinned him with a glare that promised death if he kept struggling.

The male slumped into the chair, defeated once again.

"Okay, so who wants to do his make up?" The salmon haired slayer felt his soul leave his body when the over exuberant she devil raised her hand high in the air.

_Oh gods, please help me._

* * *

 

Crimson eyes slid to a close when the feeling of happiness and excitement slipped throughout Rogue's body from his and the celestial mage's shared bond. The warm feeling of joy had the slayer involuntarily purring softly in delight. The only thing that could make the shadow dragon slayer more content would be if he were able to witness the blonde's happiness first hand, for himself.

"Man, Rogue.. Is this what you have been dealing with for the past month?" A contented sigh slipped past his intoxicated blonde guild master's lips. The dark haired slayer could only assume that Yukino must have been having just as much a good time as his blonde celestial maiden.

"No, this is actually one of the first time's I've been able to feel any type of pure happiness from Lucy, usually there is apprehension or lingering anxiety." The shadow mage admitted to his long time best friend while he took another swig of his beer.

Maybe it was his own alcohol induced haze, but the shadow mage didn't even care to be sarcastic or witty with the blonde master.

The slayer just felt at peace.

There wasn't any worry or fear- no amount of dark magic slipping through the bond and no annoying pulling except for a small ache to see the blonde in her pure state of bliss. Something the male was sure he could handle, as long as his blonde was happy.

"Oh, well this feels fucking awesome." The shadow slayer nodded his head, obvious content apparent on both the Sabertooth dragon slayer's faces.

"Yeah, well, my mate has sick and twisted feelings most of the time." Both Sabertooth mages looked up from their love drunk -and actual drunk- state to witness a rather grumpy lightning mage chug the rest of his beer before he left to get another one.

The two saber's vaguely heard the soft grunt that sounded like "damn crazy bitch" before he was out of view.

_Well… Mira wasn't called she devil for just her magic,afterall._

* * *

 

"You look beautiful, Natsu!" A crimson flushed Lisanna marveled at the sulking slayer. The short haired take over mage tightened the sash of the yellow sun dress that Virgo had brought from the spirit world, thus completing Natsu Dragneel's make over.

"Like a real woman!" Evergreen assured, which only made the salmon haired male feel sicker.

"He has bigger breast than me.." Wendy whispered to an appalled and distraught Carla, who tried to reassure the little bluenette she still had a lot of growing to do.

"Awh- Natsu, I think you would make a fine bride some day." Lucy giggled while straightening the big red bow that adorned the pinkette's now mid-back length ringlet curls. The slayer was just relieved that the blonde seemed to be okay with being near him or even talk to him again.

"Very funny. Since you have all had your fun, I'm gonna borrow Lisanna now." The salmon haired slayer quickly stood from the chair while grabbing the confused Strauss sibling's hand. A goofy grin played across the male mage's face as he pulled the woman across the room and to the door, all while ignoring the "ohs" and "awhs" from his other female guild mates.

Most of the Fairy Tail women were too drunk to care to stop their hotheaded pyro from stealing the youngest take over mage. After all, it was Natsu, and they trusted the slayer to keep the white haired woman safe.

Once the dragon slayer was sure that none of the women had chased after them, the male slowed his pace, allowing the short haired mage to match his now slower strides. The youngest Strauss sibling didn't pull her hand from his own while they walked through the inn's hallways without a sure destination in mind.

The slayer had spent most of the time getting his girlish make over mulling over and trying to wrap his mind around how exactly he was going to do this, after all, he did have a dare to fulfill. The pinkette was pretty sure that was what got him through the surprise make over without biting someone's head off.

The slayer had never been in tune with his feelings, at least not until Lisanna returned to the guild from Edolas. Once the white haired mage was back in his life, it was like the woman had lit a fire he had never felt burn in his belly. He felt all sorts of emotions he never knew existed.

After all, the white haired beauty always had a way of getting on his more sensitive and mushy side, even when they were younger. So, that's why the salmon haired slayer wanted- no, needed- to make sure that this went right, regardless if he was dared into it.

After seeing how Alzack loves Bisca, and how Laxus treats Mira since they became mates- and now knowing that Rogue and Lucy have become something within the past month or so- regardless of how he felt about his blonde friend's relationship- he couldn't deny that the shadow dragon slayer cared for his celestial mage partner.

Natsu now knew what he wanted. It took a thrashing from Laxus for the blinded pinkette to understand just how much his determination to get Lucy back and away from Rogue might have been hurting Lisanna, and Natsu didn't want to hurt her anymore. He didn't want to hurt either of the two most important women in his life anymore.

The salmon haired male had come to terms with the fact that he needed to let Lucy go if that is what she needed, and he had also recognized that if he was ever going to stand a chance with Lisanna, he needed to do what was right by both of the females.

He had seen so many of his guild mates find love and Natsu knew he wanted that with the white haired woman currently walking beside him. The fire dragon slayer also wanted to make sure that Lisanna knew that he wasn't as dense as everyone in the guild thought him to be.

He wanted her to know that he sees her the same way Laxus sees her older sister, and Evergreen sees her older brother.

The two Fairy Tail wizards finally reached the outside of the inn that opened up into the small shopping district of the tourist part of town. It had gotten considerably dark outside and the cobblestone pathway was now lit up with strings of lights that connected from each lamp post, creating a peaceful- and from what Natsu could tell- a romantic aura.

The two had found themselves in front of a bench situated right under the soft glow of a lone lamp post, the salmon haired male moved to let the white haired women sit before following onto the bench beside her.

"What's all this about, Natsu?" The way Lisanna gulped while the pink dusting her cheeks rose to her ears didn't get lost to the onyx eyed male. He had come to realize that he noticed everything about the woman sitting beside him.

The pinkette moved to where his body was now facing the blushing woman, who must have noticed by now that the slayer was so close into her personal space.

"I have somethin' I have been meaning to tell ya', but I have been too chicken shit to say it." The slayer could feel an unusual cold sweat break out over his forehead before the droplets turned into steam to float in the air above the two blushing wizards.

He was nervous and the young slayer was finding it difficult to control his magic. Honestly, the salmon haired male was starting to wonder if it would be a good idea to tell her now, or if he should wait when they both haven't been heavily drinking.

The white haired woman floundered while the fire mage just stared intently into her sapphire eyes. Lisanna was obviously feeling embarrassed, but she nodded none the less, a gesture to urge the slayer to continue.

Natsu took a deep breath, knowing that there was no going back after telling her this, knowing full well he would have to deal with the repercussions and evidential heartbreak if for some reason the takeover mage didn't feel the same way about him.

"I think you're supposed to be my mate." Lisanna's face flushed even more while her mouth opened to form a small gasp before the impulsive slayer lurched forward to press a simple chaste kiss to the stunned mage's lips.

The kiss was delicate, much more than Lisanna ever thought the pyro would be possible of. Gentle wasn't exactly the word that came to mind when she thought of Natsu Dragneel, after all.

Just as fast as the kiss had happened- it was over, leaving both wizards a blushing mess while they avoided eye contact with one another.

A loud gasp caught both the Fairy Tail mage's attention when a little girl pulled on her mom's hand to get the woman's attention.

"Mommy! Those two ladies are confessing to one another!" The mother horridly rushed her daughter away while whispering an apology for her daughter's uncouth mannerism, leaving the two wizards to awkwardly look around at the attention the little girl had drawn their way.

It was then that Natsu's alcohol induced mind decided to remember that he was still currently dressed like an overgrown female doll.

_Great._

* * *

 

Lucy had had an eventful night, to say the least.

She laughed, she cried and she had even felt an immense amount of joy, both from herself and from the slayer she was bonded to as well.

The blonde celestial mage couldn't help but feel lucky to have such amazing people in her life- people that cared and loved her regardless of how besmirched she thought herself to be.

Tonight had been everything that the blonde needed and more.

Lucy had received acceptance from her fellow Fairy Tail women. Though most were positively pissed, they all seem to understand that the blonde had received her revenge and that the man who had defiled her was in prison and that was enough for her. So they didn't bring it up again, and for that the blonde was grateful.

However, they did bring up Rogue. Multiple times _, over and over again_.

And with each inquiry, the blonde found herself blushing crimson a little more than the last.

Her fellow females were insistent on getting all of the low down and dirty details from the blonde, even Yukino and Levy-who had once been trying to stop the inquires- started to join in. The blonde chalked it up to the alcohol, of course. But she knew that behind their usual caring demeanors, they were also curious about hers and the shadow dragon slayer's blooming relationship as well.

Eventually, the celestial mage relented.

Lucy's emotions for the shadow dragon slayer had poured out like a broken dam, the inebriation from her drinks had finally broken down the wall keeping in all the feelings she felt for the dark haired male who was trying his best to take care of her.

She broke.

Her tears had flowed when she admitted to not feeling good enough or deserving of someone as doting and wonderful as the shadow mage from Sabertooth. Her insecurities and her worries were all made apparent to her friends.

Laughs were shared as she recounted the times she and the dark haired male had been caught by Yukino or Levy in compromising positions.

And Lucy had also _felt joy_.

Multiple weights were being lifted off her shoulders the more she let out her emotions, the more she shared with her family and friends the troubles she had been feeling.

The more she talked, the better she felt- like the shackles from her abuse were being ripped away to reveal to the blonde what true freedom felt like. It was elating, and Lucy couldn't bring herself to worry enough about her mild intoxication, she couldn't find herself to worry about not being good enough anymore, because _he_ said she was.

_Rogue said she was._

The Sabertooth slayer had openly let her know how he felt about her- and she was relieved, but it still brought about feelings and emotions that she didn't know how to handle yet.

The celestial wizard had never even had a boyfriend, let alone thought about being someone mate for life. Sure she's read countless romance novels and even over heard juicy gossip from her more experienced guild mates, but other than that- the blonde was clueless.

Lucy wanted to be Rogue's mate, but how could she bring herself to complete the process with him if she was so deathly afraid of being hurt again? She wasn't ready- and she didn't know if she would ever be.

Sorrowful eyes had looked back into her chocolate brown eyes when she made that fact perfectly clear to her friends. She needed some type of advice and some type of reassurance, but she didn't know how long Rogue would be willing to wait for her to be ready.

What if she was never ready and the mating process was never completed? And what if it was completed and future Rogue's magic stayed with her? There were just so many questions that the blonde had within her head and no way of getting factual answers.

So much stress had been put on the blonde fairy and so many doubts and worry that when her emotional dam was released, she just didn't know where to start and where it all ended.

But it did eventually end.

Eventually, Mira had taken her head into her lap and ran her pale slender fingers through her blonde tresses while whispering that everything was going to be okay.

The blonde had no choice but to believe her, after all, the snow haired take over wizard was the first mate of a dragon slayer anyone had ever witnessed in most likely 400 years. Even though it was still fairly new, Lucy couldn't help but think that Mira made it look so simple and easy. Maybe it was because the barmaid and Laxus's personality complimented each other.

She couldn't really be sure.

But Lucy trusted the older woman none the less, after all, she had no reason not to. The Satan soul take over mage was everything Lucy had once aspired to be, and now that rang true once again. She was a good mate for Laxus, and Lucy wanted to be a good mate for Rogue, too- eventually.

When she was ready.

"Lucy, I promise. Everything is going to be okay. If what you say is true, then it will happen in time. Rogue won't force you, he probably already thinks of you as his mate anyhow. He really cares about you. You've changed him so much in the short amount of time that you have known him." Lucy felt the soft touches of a hand on her shoulder and looked up to be met with honey brown orbs staring down at her. Her fellow celestial mage would know, she was Rogue's guild mate, after all. She knew what he was like before Lucy, and Yukino had definitely seen a shift in the shadow dragon slayer since they've met.

Lucy felt tears well up in her eyes. All the women around her were so fast to comfort her, so quick to be there for her when she needed it the most.

How did she ever get so lucky?

Feeling Mira's hands running through her hair, the blonde couldn't help but think the gesture was somewhat akin to what her own mother would have done if she was still alive. The advice from Yukino and all the other women were also akin to something her mother might have said to her if she had been able to.

How could Lucy have ever been so foolish to think that the guild couldn't carry her pain with her? How could the blonde have ever thought that she was a burden to them, and that her suffering in silence would have been better than letting all her friends know what was going on with her?

How could she have done that when everyone just wanted to help her? Had Lucy really been so blind to the amount of love she had around her this whole time?

_Most likely._

Lucy knew she was stubborn and a bit naive, but she really did believe she had everyone's best interest in mind at the time. What a silly thought it was now, though.

"I think I might be falling in love with him." Lucy's subtle voice sounded so loud in the silence of the room. A lot of the women had passed out drunk or were on the verge of it. The only women really left listening were Mira, Erza, Yukino, and Levy.

"I could see myself living a happy life with him." The blonde yawned when sleep threatened to take her away from her friends into the land of nightmares she was so used to residing in, but the celestial mage couldn't find the strength to care.

She was content with where she was, and with who she was with. She felt safe, like when she was around Rogue.

That thought lulled her to sleep while she wished for dreams of _her_ dragon slayer, and not the future one to take her away into the world of unconsciousness.

Four women watched with smiles on their faces as the blonde slept peacefully in Mira's lap.

"So, Mira. When are you and thunder thighs gonna start trying for kids?" The bluenette giggled when the white haired mage sputtered from the unexpected question.

* * *

 

Over in the next room, Laxus let out an annoyed grunt when white-hairedired mate's emotions crashed into him.

'Fuckin' Crazy she devil."

'What in the gods name happened to you, flame brain?" The ice-make mage's voice was barely audible over the amount of drunken boisterous laughter that sounded throughout the room that the Fairy Tail men and two sabers were residing in.

It was late and the slayer was just ready to go to bed now that he had sobered up after confessing to Lisanna. The pinkette knew he should have went straight to the changing areas right after having the white haired mage retrieve his clothes from the women's suite, but he didn't want to deal with trying to figure out which changing room he should go in.

He didn't want to risk frightening women, and starting a fight between men, crazy as it sounds.

Besides, at least the men could see that he completed his dare, plus Natsu didn't really get embarrassed by these sorts of things, however the way his guild mates opening mocked him made the slayer start to regret not changing before hand at the very least.

"Shut the fuck up, ice princess. I completed the dare, you can call Mira to ask, I'm sure the girls are all over Lisanna at the moment." The fire dragon slayer tried to take off the dress, but ended up ripping the delicate fabric, causing the once beautiful celestial garment to fall to piece on the ground.

"Salamander, the only one here who's lookin' like a princess is your ass!" The salmon haired male suppressed a growl at the iron mage while throwing the rest of the now destroyed dress at the other slayer. Even more laughter erupted from the male mages who weren't passed out.

"Natsu, you make a pretty girl!" The flying blue exceed swirled around in the air above his best friend while giggling, causing the dragon slayer to slouch in defeat.

"So you told the barmaid's sister you liked her, huh?" Glossy blue eyes caught the pinkette's attention while he was struggled to rip the huge red bow from his still curly locks. Sting smirked when the salmon haired mage decided to just shake his head furiously back in forth in hopes to dislodge the seemingly stuck accessory, which only caused the male's now long hair to tangle and poof out.

"No, I told her I think she's supposed to be my mate before a little kid decided to point out that 'two women' were about to make out." The salmon haired mage ignored the hard slap on the back from an intoxicated Elfman who made it his mission to point out that that was so not manly, causing everyone to cackle at the irony.

"That is so fuckin' hilarious. Okay, Okay, Laxus call Mira and see if Natsu is tellin' the truth." Onyx eyes narrowed at the now fully naked raven haired male who couldn't seem to get enough of Natsu's misfortune.

The older slayer only tsked before taking out his own personal lacrima while a huge smirk crossed his lips when the white haired barmaid slipped into everyone's field of vision. The hulking male wasn't even able to get a word in before the white haired woman started rambling on.

"Oh my goodness, you will never believe what just happened to Lisanna! Natsu asked her to be his mate while dressed like a woman! It's true, Lucy's spirits did his hair and provided a dress, and I did his make up! Then when we were done he ran away with Lisanna into the night and proposed to her! Isn't it magical!?" Laxus just rolled his eyes before ending the call while the woman was still rambling.

"See! But I didn't propose to her, Mira is just getting ahead of herself again." The pinkette smirked while masculine cheers and congratulations sounded around the suite. Many mages slapped the fire mage on his back and some offered him shots.

"All I know is it's about fuckin' time." The iron mage held up his own shot in congrats before downing the dark amber liquid.

"Yeah, fuckin' right. Now, let's talk about you and Levy." Gajeel's crimson eye's widened while he choked on his shot. Of all the people to call him out, he hadn't expected the usually quiet ebony haired saber to be the one to do it.

"Shut the fuck up, Ryos!" The iron mage yelled at the obviously drunk shadow mage who was currently leaning against his chair, not even caring that the other crimson eyed male was sending him wave upon wave of death glares.

"For real, it's iron ass's turn to fess up, or even the popsicle!" The salmon haired mage's goofy grin slipped onto his lips as all attention fell to either the long ebony haired male or the raven haired mage instead of him. Agreements and cheers erupted once again at the idea of yet another guy making a confession tonight.

"Fuck all of you, I ain't confessing to no one tonight, you all saw what happened to Salamander. I ain't gettin' anywhere near those drunk insane women tonight." The iron mage scowled while wiping off the reminisce of his drink from his lips.

"Me either, I got no one to confess shit to." The raven haired male foreigned indifference while trying to keep the fact that the blue haired water mage had entered his mind during the thought of a confession.

Drunken curse words and boos echoed both the ice mage and iron dragon slayer's words in return.


	25. Chapter 25

**WARNING:  Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**This chapter is Beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should go check them out!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 25**

* * *

A loud clunk resounded through the once silent space of the hallway, alerting the escapees to look around in obvious panic when the rune knight's body hit the floor. Paranoia set in amongst their skittish forms, letting the men know that even though the lightning mage and vine mage had successfully taken out the guards, they couldn't rest easy yet.

Who knew if the stand in guard had had enough time to call for help before they were knocked unconscious? They couldn't be certain. It was far too risky to stay in one place for too long, they had to keep moving.

Over the course of four long and unsettling days- for six minutes, three times a day- the lightning mage had been able to sneak into the other prisoner's cell units long enough to teach the other convicts how to chip away at the locking mechanisms binding the magic restraints until they were nothing more than an illusion of false entrapments to fool the guards.

"Are you sure they weren't able to call for back up?" Brilliant green eyes shone with uncertainty, the vine mage knew more than anything that he could trust in his brother, but still- the red-haired mage couldn't stop an unsettled grimace from sliding onto his face.

Over the past month, the vine wizard had noticed how much the lightning mage had gotten careless and downright maniacal over the duration of his imprisonment, and it worried the former bandit.

Everything had to be perfectly timed in order for their escape to work, so they needed to do this right, everything had to be timed perfectly.

The brunette lightning mage had taken extra care to see to their advantage that other prisoners were out of their holdings as well as them. The former boss bandit had to make sure that they had more bodies in their escape- because the more prisoners the guards had to chase down, the better chance the two brothers had to make their escape. Extra unnecessary prisoners would make perfect scapegoats for a seamless getaway in the event that they were spotted prematurely by the guards.

After all, the brunette haired male didn't expect  _all_  of the escapees to make it to the outside. He just had to make sure that in the event that they were pursued; the rune knights would be frantically trying to catch so many escapees, that it would provide the perfect chaos for the two brothers to slip away undetected with ease.

"Stay calm, brother. We will be out soon enough and I will finally be able to get my hands on that infuriating little bitch of a blonde." The red-haired male grimaced at the mention of the blonde haired woman his brother had become so infatuated with since their imprisonment.

The vine mage's scowl only deepened when the memory of their capture slipped back into his mind. The little woman had taken them all by surprise when she showed up at their campsite still bloody and beaten. It was in that moment that both he and his brother had come to realize that they had foolishly forgotten to grab the woman's keys in the heat of battle. The lightning mage's pride had got the better of him, it would have seemed.

However, the younger of the brothers couldn't help but think that it was so unlike the brown haired male to leave his victims alive- a mistake that had inevitably contributed to their capture by a member of the twin dragon duo of Sabertooth.

Emerald green eyes glanced at his brother's retreating back, causing the vine mage to continue following the male down the dimly lit passageway. He was almost certain that this was the very reason the boss had been so dead set on finishing what he had started with the blonde, but the risk hardly seemed worth it to the red-haired mage.

The younger vine mage could understand his older brother's fury and desire to capture the sneaky woman in an attempt to make her pay for their imprisonment, but the emerald-eyed bandit would much rather focus on escaping Fiore instead of pursuing the blonde wizard for unnecessary revenge.

After all, the female had proven herself to be a valiant wizard, and for that, she deserved to live her life as she saw fit- at least that's what the scarlet-haired male believed anyways.

His brother? Not so much.

"Brother, please! Can't we just leave it be? Let's get out of here and start over in another land. I don't want to risk being thrown back into this hell over a stupid wretch, for all we know she is already fuckin' dead. Just let it go and move on." The red haired bandit was met with a vigorous and painful punch to the gut by his brother's lightning covered fist when he reeled around on his heels. The vine wizard doubled over while catching the insane glint in the brunette's green eyes. The irate fire burning in his orbs stunned the male  _almost_ as much as the shock wave that was sent through his body.

Taken aback, the injured male staggered to lean on the hallway wall only to stare at the fuming brunette with wide and bewildered eyes.

They had at least three more minutes until the next set of guards would realize a multitude of their prisoners are missing.

_Three minutes_  to make their escape from the magic council's facility, and they had no time left to argue over what was going to happen when- or if- they were able to get away from this life of imprisonment.

If The two brothers spent any more time arguing, their opportunity to escape would draw to a close and it wouldn't matter what happened after their escape anymore because they would most likely be executed instead of thrown back into their prison cells this time.

"You will not question me again. Let's go." The brunette mage's green eyes conveyed and mirrored the fury of his own brother's emerald orbs. Both wizards furious at the other for different reasons- the vine mage for feeling betrayed and the lightning mage for feeling undermined by his younger brother.

Around them, other prisoners glanced around feeling the paralyzing grips of anxiety while the fear of getting caught rose with each passing second that slipped by due to the brother's ridiculous squabble. Their legs moved as if lead weights had been strapped to their ankles even though they tried to the best of their abilities to move quickly down the hallway, not wanting to anger the now seething brunette who had freed them in the first place.

The brunette paused to take in his surroundings- surely there had to be an exit somewhere.

An exit somewhere conveniently placed for when the guards swapped out to take breaks, or somewhere that in the case of an emergency the rune knights would be able to evacuate the facility at a moment's notice.

_Two minutes left._

Time trickled down by the second as the two mages leading the front maneuvered through the halls quickly looking for some type of exit route.

Shouting from the distance where the prisoner had originally come from alerted the men that their time had drawn to an early close as they had been found out. Someone must have come back earlier than expected during shift change and noticed that at least one-third of the prisoners had escaped from their respective units.

The vine mage quickly conjured multiple tendrils of foliage that weaved in and around one another to make a barrier from each wall of the hallway to make a barricade as the other wizard and former bandits pushed further on to make their escape. The redhead knew his magic wouldn't keep the guards back for long, but it would certainly buy them some time.

Enraged shouts and snarls could be heard in the distance as rune knights barreled through the vines- only to get caught within the grasps of the leafy green foliage. This caused a smirk to form on the brunette mage's lips at his little brother's quick thinking.

"There! It's an exit!" One of the convicts yelled while he pushed another one of the bandit's men down to the ground in a greedy act to ensure his own escape. Chaos erupted within the tiny confines of the hallway making both the vine and lightning mage clench their fist at the selfishness of the other escapees.

Punches were received and people were thrown to the cemented ground only to be stopped when the lightning mage sent an electric charge throughout the bodies of the useless men who had been blocking their pathway to the door. Two sets of emerald eyes watched as the unconscious bodies fell to the floor, the thumps only drowning out by more rune knight's shouting.

The brothers looked from one another then to the door of the exit before the brown-haired male practically ripped the wood from its hinges, a maniacal laugh rung through the hallway as the brothers were finally free from the council's prison facility.

Once the rune knights caught up to the exit of the prison, they cursed. There was no trace of the two wizard brothers, any footprints or signs of life.

It was quiet and the inky darkness of night provided the perfect cover for the two escapees to slink away from their imprisonment.

The mages had successfully escaped at the cost of their former comrade's freedom.

* * *

"Welp, I'm gonna go pick up Yukino. I can't take this stupid bond thing, I don't know how you do it, man. I feel like I'm dying." Scarlet eyes darted from the game he had been playing with the raven-haired ice-make wizard to look at his blonde friend.

Sting really did look like he was uncomfortable, maybe it had something to do with the celestial mage and he being newly mated. Honestly, Rogue couldn't say.

"You're supposed to feel like that, light bulb. It means your woman's thinking 'bout you too." The large lightning mage grunted to the Sabertooth guild master. Apparently, the dirty blonde male had overheard Sting's poor attempt at whispering.

Honestly, Rogue had been debating on whether or not he wanted to snag his blonde celestial mage as well. The slayer wasn't so sure if he could fall asleep in a room with a bunch of somewhat strangers, especially after witnessing the salmon haired slayer drawing on some of the already passed out wizards faces with a permanent marker.

As if the pyro could sense the ebony haired male's gaze, the slayer looked up from his masterpiece to give Rogue a returning scowl before moving on to his next unconscious victim.

Nope, he definitely wouldn't be able to fall asleep in the same room as someone who still had a personal vendetta against him. It probably wouldn't end well for either of the mages- or the inn for that matter.

Also, surely his blonde celestial mage wouldn't mind leaving early to forgo sleeping on futons for the comfort of her own bed?

The shadow mage watched his retreating blonde guild master, wondering if he should follow the obviously tired man. Unbeknownst to the ebony haired slayer, cobalt eyes glanced from the Sabertooth master to the conflicted crimson eyed man.

"Alright, alright. I won't hold it against you if you swoop up my little sister to take her home. So go." The ebony haired slayer nodded his head in a small thanks to the ice-make mage. A wide grin formed on the stripper's lips before he smacked the Sabertooth mage on the back a little too hard to be considered friendly.

"Just watch out, Luce is an affectionate drunk." The ice welder cackled while seeing the two Sabers out of the room. Rogue just nodded his head in affirmation while scooping up his small exceed, much like Sting had done with Lector. A mumbled grunt of a goodbye from the iron mage was heard as the two stepped out the door and into the hallway.

The slayers walked in comfortable silence to the room next door before Sting knocked on the wood. It didn't take long for the door to swing open to reveal the young white-haired mage that Natsu had confessed to not long beforehand.

"Hello Rogue, Sting. What can I do for you two?" The take over mage's surprised face was almost amusing as she tried to shut the door just a bit while a crimson blush spread across her cheeks. She made a quick glance back into the room before turning back to the men with a renewed friendly smile. Since everyone was somewhat decent, the white-haired mage opened the door wider.

"We just came to pick up the celestial duo. Figured it would be best to take them back now before anything crazy happens over in the guy's room." The white dragon slayer explained, causing the woman to giggle a little, most likely understanding that Sting was probably right.

The short white haired mage didn't give the men trouble, she just opened the door and moved aside for them to collect their respective woman.

The Sabertooth men gawked at the state of the women's suite- and here they thought that the Fairy Tail men's room was in disarray.

The pair marveled at what looked to be cake all over the place. Icing spread on the walls, crumbs crushed into the floor and plates and forks scattered all over the room. Empty cups toppled over on counters, furniture, and even the beds. Beer bottles- both half full and empty lay scattered amongst the incapacitated occupants of the room.

Passed out women were laying haphazardly across the floor making it hard for the men to maneuver around- unlike the graceful take over mage who lead them to the couch close to the corner of the room.

Both men suppressed a chuckle at the scene laid out in front of them.

Both Lucy and Yukino looked uncomfortable, to say the least. The celestial women were wedged between the Titania and the sky dragon slayer as they all must have fallen asleep on the couch at one point. Limbs were entangled as other body parts hung off the edge of the couch.

"They had a pretty good time tonight, I'm glad." The oldest take over mage observed the two Sabertooth mages who were eyeing the women on the small sofa, a small friendly smile formed on the snowy-haired barmaid's face.

"Thank you. Lucy needed some time with her friends and family." The quiet shadow mage didn't remove his eyes from the sleeping blonde. Even though her position looked unpleasant, Lucy's facial expression looked at peace.

The blonde was sleeping blissfully once again. Was a trip to Fairy Tail all the female needed to be set back on the right path for her recovery? Had her growing depression feed off the dark shadows that reside within her? Now that she's back with her family would she finally start to recover?

Rogue was snapped out of his thoughts when a groan from the scarlet-haired fairy on the couch caught his attention.

Sting had tried- and failed- to dislodge their silverette comrade, but the movement only seemed to make the redheaded woman tighten her grasp on the unsuspecting female Sabertooth wizard. The ebony haired male rolled his eyes at the pleading look his imbecile of a guild master was giving him.

Rogue tried a different approach, he picked up the blonde haired woman, creating more room for his fellow slayer to try and pry the silver-haired wizard from the female knight's ironclad grasp.

Both Mira and Lisanna giggled when the Sabertooth mage's plan was a success. The redhead moved over to grab the small form of the sky dragon slayer to cuddle with instead. A sigh of relief could be heard from both of the men.

They didn't know what would happen if they'd woke up Titania, but they certainly didn't want to find out.

Rogue tried his best to repress the deep rumble within his throat out of satisfaction when he felt the celestial mage in his arms burry her nose deeper into his cloth covered chest. A light blush formed on the male's otherwise impassive face when he realized his growl had been heard by at least the white dragon slayer.

"Awhhh, I so can't wait for you two to admit that you are together. You guys are just too cute for words and I want you guys to have a lot of blonde haired red eye babies. Oh, or maybe black hair brown eyed babies!? So perfect!" Now Rogue couldn't hide his blush this time when he involuntarily flushed from ear to ear at the thought of children with Lucy.

The giggling white-haired she-devil adopted another creepy grin once again before chanting about babies with Lucy or his hair color and eye colors. If Rogue hadn't of been so freaked out with all attention on him, he was sure he would have been laughing just as much like his blonde partner was doing at that particular moment.

"It's too soon for that, Mira!" The ebony haired male said a silent thank you to the blushing younger snow colored haired wizard when she pushed her older sister away to help lead the men to the doorway.

The slayers carefully maneuvered their way back to the door with the help of the younger white-haired mage once again. Lisanna bid them goodnight before shutting the door behind them, the sound of giggling still reaching the slayer's enhanced hearing.

Silence once again fell over the men as they cradled each of the celestial spirit mage's close to their chests while walking through the hallways of the inn, it had to be around 2 in the morning. The only sounds that could be heard were muffled laughter, moans and snores as the Sabertooth mage's made their way to the front of the building.

It wasn't until they were outside the front entrance of the resort did the two men finally say their goodbyes, each having to go in the opposite direction, and each too tired to care to strike up a small conversation at the moment.

Rogue wasted no time in pouring out his magic to cover his, Lucy's and Frosch's body so he could melt into the shadows for faster travel back to the blonde's apartment. The sooner he was at her home, the sooner the male would be able to finally relax.

It didn't take the shadow mage long to find the blonde's apartment. After all, he remembered the path they had taken to get to the resort earlier in the day. Assortments of colors passed by the shadow infused trio in a blur when the ebony haired mage pushed himself to move faster within the magic surrounding them.

It wasn't until the slayer was sure that they had slipped through the crack underneath the door to Lucy's apartment when the slayer finally dropped his magic to materialize within the entryway. The man let out a heavy sigh, glad to be surrounded by the comfortable scent that was the blonde's apartment.

It had been an extremely eventful evening that turned into an equally interesting night.

From Natsu trying to pick fights, the men finding out about Lucy's secret, comforting the blonde woman in the changing room and getting drunk with a bunch of Fairy Tail men, Rogue was utterly exhausted.

A small smile formed when Rogue let his crimson gaze move from surveying the apartment to the blonde woman still nestled within his arms.

But, Lucy had a tremendous time.

Sure the blonde had a small hiccup in the changing room, and yes- he did feel anxiety from her a couple of times throughout the remainder of the night, but the number of good emotions the woman had been pouring through their bond had the slayer believing that the good certainly outweighed any of the bad emotions today.

And, that was all that mattered to the ebony haired slayer.

The man would gladly endure many nights like tonight if it meant that the blonde would be as happy as she was today.

The shadow mage repressed a chuckle while he started to realize just how much he prioritized the blonde's happiness more than his own. Besides, hanging out with the fairies hadn't been as bad as he thought it would have been. The only real hiccup was that his own guild master and his huge mouth had blabbed out word vomit of Lucy's personal business, after all.

Okay, Rogue would admit that he had a pretty good time, too.

The ebony haired slayer maneuvered his way through the apartment to deposit the still sleeping blonde in her bed before removing her shoes and covering her with her comforter. The slayer moved Frosch from his resting place on his shoulder to set the little exceed down by the sleeping blonde's head before turning to move towards the sofa.

"I think I want to try going on a mission." Rogue's crimson orbs widened when he felt a small hand reach out to wrap around his wrist, causing the ebony haired male to turn back towards the blonde who was peeping up at him through half-lidded eyes.

"Are you sure? You know that everything has been taken care of for you. You don't need to worry about jewel for a long while. Everyone wants to make sure you are healed before putting you back out into all the action." Rogue entirely hoped that didn't sound too blunt, but it was the truth. Both her guild and even Sabertooth had made sure to arrange her accommodations so as she wouldn't need to worry about anything.

Not to mention, Lucy had taken care of her rent well enough in advance by herself. She didn't have to worry about anything at all, so why did she want to go on a mission all of a sudden?

"I want things to start going back to normal with my guild and I. I know I still have a long way to go, but I don't want to push everyone away anymore." The blonde half whispered while her eyes slid shut once more. The dark haired male was about to say something but was cut off when the blonde continued in a low whisper.

"I told them, Rogue.. They didn't think any less of me.. They didn't think of me as dirty or hopeless, and I miss them." The blonde lay on her side now, still obviously intoxicated.

It was hard for Rogue to decipher if the blonde was sleep talking or actually awake, however, his suspicions were confirmed when he heard her breathing regulate while her heartbeat slowed to a moderate tempo once again.

She had fallen back to sleep.

What a silly woman. Of course, her guildmates wouldn't think any less of her, in fact, they probably have more respect for her now more than they have ever had. Lucy was strong and brave in the face of her fears and she's able to battle her darkness down every day.

The celestial mage was extraordinary in her own right and anyone who didn't see that was obviously blind or just ignorant- or both.

The ebony haired male lets a small grin form on his lips, his blonde was improving every day- and he now knew that coming to Fairy Tail had been a wise choice for her. The Sabertooth mage could only hope that the fairy's life would soon regulate into the normalcy that the celestial mage so craved for. Maybe the blonde would start to feel more like herself soon, if her life keeps looking up the way that it has.

Plus, Rogue was dying to go on a mission again as well.

The shadow mage would have to talk to master Makarov and Sting to see if Sabertooth and Fairy Tail could collaborate on a mission so he and Lucy would be able to go on one together, possibly with her team.

The ebony haired slayer made a mental note to talk to the two guild masters about that subject tomorrow. But for now, it was time to get some much-needed sleep.

The ebony haired slayer looked back to the blonde once more. A feeling of longing washing over his heart while he pulled the blanket back over the top half of her body before stroking the hair away from her face. Her soft skin caused his fingertips to tingle when magic from both their bodies tried to reach out to one another.

Rogue hoped that his earlier confessions had resonated somewhere deep within the blonde, because the words he spoke were nothing but the truth. He adored her, and wanted nothing more than to be close to her and for the blonde to be happy.

_Was it love?_

Honestly, the ebony haired mage had never known love- as in real honest to gods  _love_. He knew the love of friendship, and the love a son would hold towards a father as well as the love a father would have for a son thanks to Frosch, but he had never known the love he could have for a woman.

_The love he could have for a mate.._

Gazing at the sleeping blonde, Rogue was almost positive that the feelings he felt towards the woman were just that- love. Not lust, or adoration- which of course he would admit he felt those feelings towards the celestial mage as well, but he also felt deep emotions. Ones he had never know he could feel towards a single person.

It both excited him and terrified him because his heart ached with a question that had yet to be answered.

_Did Lucy feel the same towards him as well?_

Or was she just lusting after him, or admired him because he had saved her multiple times? The ebony haired male plopped down on the sofa before lying down with his arms behind his head.

Sleep wouldn't come to him as easily as he had thought it would, not with all the thoughts of such a foreign feeling and concept running circles in his mind.

* * *

_**Thanks for your patience, guys! It's been a difficult few months, and on top of the drama I mentioned before, I am in a wedding at the end of the month and the bride is having an extravagant wedding and it is a must that I am there for every *little* thing. *Sighs* Is it too late to drop out yet? I'm joking, obviously, but seriously- I'm just ready for it all to be over. I think I wouldn't be so drained if the Bachelorette party, rehearsal, and wedding didn't all happen in three consecutive days. I have to drive almost 2 hours away each day for each event, and that is draining.** _

_**HELP! I am antisocial and don't do well playing with others. Will someone please put me out of my misery? lol** _


	26. Chapter 26

**WARNING:** **Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 26**

* * *

"Hell yeah! I'm all fired up!" The fire dragon slayer yelled, causing billows of black smoke and fire to seep from the open pinkette's mouth, the swirl of red and orange flames almost catching the wooden rafters ablaze from his excitement.

"Natsu, there are restrictions; this job request is simply a trial period for Lucy to see if she can handle going on missions." The tiny guild master regarded the exuberant slayer with a sweat drop while waving his now enlarged hand around to keep the flames from reaching other parts of the guild.

"Yeah, yeah, gramps. I get it." The oblivious salmon-haired male danced around with an equally excited blue-furred exceed who flew in circles above the mage's heads while they spoke. The fire mage was beyond thrilled that his blonde partner would be able to join a mission with everyone once again. After all, it had been such a long time since the celestial mage was a part of Team Natsu.

"Rogue, Sting and Yukino will also be accompanying you, as well as Lisanna." The salmon-haired mage froze while looking at the still flailing master - who had finally succeeded in batting away the dragon slayer's fire.

"Eh? Why are they all comin' too?" Confusion was apparent on the fire welder's face when the old titan stopped to regard the younger male with a pointed and incredulous look, how the boy didn't understand why was a mystery to the guild master.

"Rogue to keep Lucy in line and Lisanna to keep you in line, my child. Sting and Yukino because it is a guild collaboration mission and they are already here, after all." The Fairy Tail master observed as the young mage geared up to put up some type of protest at allowing another guild to join their mission, but was stopped when a slender pale hand touched his shoulder. The snowy-haired female in question had walked up to the two arguing men, seemingly hearing her name mentioned by their small master.

All fight miraculously vanished from the once raring to go salamander when he turned to look into the woman's crystal sapphire eyes.

"Don't worry, Natsu. It's going to be fun!" The fire mage only nodded, a dumbfounded expression masking the slayer's features when the snowy-haired woman moved a little closer to him causing her cloth covered breast to press against his bare arm when she wrapped her arms around the male.

Crimson flushed to the usually oblivious male's cheeks while he quickly averted his gaze anywhere but the beautiful woman beside him.

"Yeah. I guess you're right. Hey, Lis. I need to ask a favor, can you come with me for a second?" And just like that, the wild and usually flamboyant fire dragon slayer had been tamed; all thoughts of complaining or arguing were washed away by the cool blue tides of the snowy-haired takeover mage's shining eyes.

The Fairy Tail guild master looked on at the two children that he had watched grow into the young adults walk away from him. Makarov stared at the two retreating mages with wide unblinking eyes while his jaw unhinged to smack loudly against the table he was currently sitting against. A low disgruntled noise leaving the old man's lips as he witnessed the display of affection between the two young wizards.

In all the years that the master had looked over the dragon slayer from when he was just a small boy to the young man standing before him today, the tiny titan had never seen the fire dragon slayer blush and look so positively smitten.

The sight of the blushing slayer that currently was averting his eyes while holding on with what looked to be an extremely tight grip to the elbow farthest from the young Strauss mage made the master's face turn white while he felt his very soul leave his body.

The boy has finally noticed a woman, and not just any woman!

Natsu  _likes_ Lisanna!

Makarov heard the worried voice of Fairy Tail's bar maiden, but he couldn't even form a coherent sentence to answer her worried pleas to let her know he was alright. The old man brought one of his hands up to his chest to cover the cloth that lay just above his now rapidly beating heart.

The old titan could still hear the worried voices of not only Mira, but other members of the guild as he finally let out one breathy sentence that actually made sense enough for the white-haired woman to hear.

"My bet was on Lucy.. I owe that damn Macao 100,000 jewel." The concerned take-over mage let her hands fall from the old man's shoulder before turning back to the bar with an annoyed huff, he really had her worried for a moment there.

The two wizards in question watched their guild master slump from his bar stool to trudge over to the table Wakaba and Macao were sitting at. Lisanna only giggled at the old titan's slow and reluctant steps while the fire dragon slayer chanced a glance at the snowy-haired woman before looking elsewhere.

Seeming to remember that the pinkette had brought her over to the corner for a reason, the sapphire-eyed wizard looked back to see Natsu staring off into space, a faraway look in his deep dark orbs.

"What's the favor you needed to ask me, Natsu?" The salmon-haired male regained his focus just as Lisanna leaned against the empty table, her playful demeanor calming his nerves just a little. What he was about to ask of the white-haired woman was important and he knew without a doubt he could get through anything with the youngest takeover mage by his side.

"I was kinda wonderin' if you would come with me to Luce's, I really messed up, and I have some things I need to say to both her and Rogue." Natsu knew he made a mistake with Lucy and he needed to fix it as soon as possible. He had unintentionally burned the blonde, scared her and pushed her way past her boundaries even when Levy had gone out of her way to warn him.

Natsu rubbed the back of his neck when he remembered the way the guys had verbally attacked him in the hot spring, and they were right. The pinkette was hurting the people he cared about most, all because he was too blinded by his own emotions to care about how they each felt.

The snowy-haired beauty gave the fire mage a genuine smile while tilting her head with a little giggle, causing the male's heart to quicken.

"I think that is a great idea, Natsu! I'd love to come." Natsu grinned before slinging his arm around the woman's neck, a crimson blush working its way back on his face when he instinctually let his nostrils flare to inhale the beautiful wizard's unique scent.

"Glad to hear it!" Before releasing Lisanna, Natsu glanced around the guild- catching the eyes of a certain she-devil who was currently fanning her face with the rag she usually used to clean the bar. Hearts were bulging out of the oldest takeover mage's eyes while she squealed in delight.

"Maybe we should go now?" Lisanna offered when she noticed the number of glances the two wizards were receiving now that her older sister had caught the two younger wizards over in the corner alone, close together.

"Yeah, let's go! Come on, Happy!" Natsu grabbed his hopefully soon to be mate's hand while dragging her out of the guild and away from their Nakama's curious eyes, the blue exceed flying close behind the two wizards as they set off for one particular faded red brick building on Strawberry Street.

* * *

"Thank you so much, Rogue! I don't think you understand just how much this means to me. You are the absolute best!" The ebony-haired slayer felt his heart swell while he held the blushing blonde within his arms, her head leaning on his chest as if listening to his steadily beating heart.

"Fro thinks so too!" The smiling green exceed exclaimed from his spot on the back of Lucy's sofa, the little feline was too busy watching some silly cartoon to actually understand what the blonde was talking about. However, Frosch didn't miss a beat when his ears picked up the mention of Rogue. The little feline was quick to agree when praise of his dragon slayer partner was uttered by the kind woman.

"Honestly, Lucy. It was nothing, really. I just brought it up to Sting earlier this morning, and he and Makarov took care of the rest. If anyone deserves your thanks it should be them." The dark-haired mage was finally able to stop the blush from showing on his face when the blonde finally released her hold to step away from him. Rogue frowned at the loss of contact of the warm body that had been pressed against him.

The ebony haired slayer was glad that the blonde remembered that she told him that she wanted to go on a mission while in her intoxicated haze of sleep. Part of Sabertooth mage wanted to put off asking Sting until she had woken from her sleep this morning, but seeing the blonde woman beam at him with happiness made him glad that he hadn't.

Luckily for himself and Lucy, the two guild masters were able to easily approve a guild collaboration between Fairy Tail and Sabertooth for a relatively small mission request. The only catch was that not only would he be coming along, but Sting, Yukino, and the youngest snowy haired takeover wizard would be accompanying Team Natsu.

The large group wasn't really necessary for the mission request that was chosen, but the extra members would act more as a safety blanket for the blonde in case she needed to dip out for some reason before the mission was completed.

It also helped that Lisanna- the hopefully soon to be mate of Natsu- would be tagging along to help keep the unpredictable pyro under control and most of Fairy Tail's dragon slayer's focus away from  _his own_  hopefully soon to be mate. Rogue's frown deepened at the thought of the salmon haired man. He wanted this job request to go smoothly for Lucy, but having Natsu around was just asking for a disaster.

"Oh, just hush and take the compliment already. I'll call Virgo out as soon as we are done packing so she can store everything away in the spirit world. I am so excited. Kind of nervous- but excited mostly!" Lucy gave Rogue a smile before shuffling off in pursuit of dragging out one of her favorite suitcases from under her bed.

The shadow mage just shook his head while his lips tilted into a small smirk when the bubbly blonde all but skipped to her bed, her emotions a symphony of excitement, joy, and peacefulness that melted together to seep into his body through their bond causing the crimson eye's mage to shudder from the pleasant feeling, all thoughts of the other slayer, gone.

The Sabertooth wizard leaned against the wall, taking in the sight of the excited woman while she dug her hands underneath her bed, a blush flushing to his cheeks when he observed the short skirt she had on as the thin fabric rose up dangerously high to cover only the firm roundness of her ass, leaving the backs of her creamy pale thighs exposed to his view.

The ebony haired slayer knew he should look away from the delectable woman in front of him, but he just couldn't avert his gaze from the celestial mage. Hungry ruby eyes raked over the blonde's bent form, greedily taking in the way her body moved back and forth while she reached her hands around under the bed in search of her suitcase.

The naive action by the crouched woman caused Rogue's mind to wander into not so innocent territory. Thoughts of her bent form pressing up against his front filtered through his mind. The ebony haired slayer repressed a throaty groan while he tried his hardest to resist the urge to run his hands over the blonde's raised rear and the rest of her body.

Though no matter how hard the man tried, the erotic spectacle before him roused the sleeping dragon within him. His body felt immersed with power while his shadow dragon slayer magic practically roared at the sight of the celestial fairy in such a provocative position on the floor. Lewd fantasies of running his hand's through Lucy's blonde tresses as he dominated her form slammed into Rogue, causing him to pant from the overwhelming  _need._

The ebony haired male didn't know how much longer he would be able to keep his dragon instincts at bay from the positively delectable vision of his blonde angel in front of him. It was almost like she was presenting herself to him, and she was ready for the taking.

Gods, was she _trying_  to taunt the raging beast within him? Or was she just that oblivious to the fact that she was basically waving her ass in the air like some type of aphrodisiac offering?

The dragon slayer's resolve dissolved into a distant memory when Lucy's large honey-brown doe eyes peeked at him curiously through her lashes while looking over her shoulder. The blonde wizard must have felt his longing and lasciviousness through their bond, at least that's what he would like to believe.

The slayer observed as her chocolate eyes widened when they took in the feral gleam in his own crimson stare causing a heat to pool deep within her core at just how voracious the male looked peering down at her from his position against the wall.

Rogue sniffed, his nostrils flaring when her heady scent wafted throughout the room causing him to let out a low groan in response to her feminine arousal.

_Oh, how he wished he was buried deep between her thighs again._

Sudden flashes of the time they'd spent in the charging room at the hot springs just yesterday flipped like a picture book through the crimson-eyed male's mind, disappointed that he hadn't been able to taste her sweet nectar then, either.

Memories of the blonde's delicate palm gliding up and down his throbbing manhood while his fingers pistoned within her tight wet heat practically left the slayer a slave to his primal desires for the gorgeous woman currently situated on her hands and knees before him.

The slayer moved his eyes to his small exceed still situated on the couch, too absorbed in what looked to be a children's show on the small lacrima TV. Surely the feline wouldn't even notice if the dragon slayer snatched up the blonde fairy and made a break for the bathroom.

But, would he really do it?

" _Rogue.._ " The blonde's voice, thick with want beckoned the male closer when she let the slayer's name tumble from her cherry pink lips. Rogue was suddenly aware of just how constricting his clothes felt when his length twitched in response to the fairy's wanton tone.

The answer is  _yes, he will._

It took the slayer driven solely by his dragon instinct all of five seconds to push his body away from the wall before he was on the still curved blonde, causing Lucy to gasp when she felt his stiff erection rub against her scarcely covered backside.

Lucy's small moan was like a soft melody to the slayer's ears as he nipped at the nape of her neck with his sharp canines, a cavernous growl rumbled within his chest in response when the blonde moved her head to the side, baring her neck in an almost submissive fashion.

He could feel her desire through their connection and smell her profound arousal when he moved to wrap his arms around the celestial mage before letting his magic slip out to coon the two in the dark wisps of shadows.

It took the slayer another four seconds to displace their bodies from their previous position by Lucy's bed to the more private enclosed space of the blonde's bathroom.

The slayer wasted no time in turning and locking the door before moving to pin the still disoriented blonde to her bathroom counter.

Obviously, the ebony haired male would like to eventually show the blonde his affections in an actual bed, but it would seem that locking themselves in her bathroom would have to suffice for now since privacy is a luxury that neither wizard seemed to have lately.

"Sweet Lucy, you should never bend over like that unless you  _want_  me to pin you down to something." Rogue's haughty whisper ghosted over the shell of the woman's ear while the slayer nibbled at the tender flesh before moving to kiss her cheek- which earned him a small suppliant whimper from the angel pinned against him.

"What would you like me to do?" The male's voice came out in a husky groan when the blonde fingers moved to tug on his hair, successfully freeing the ebony locks from their place tied atop his head. Her head moved to place light kisses on his neck before moving up to his jawline where the skin received much the same treatment.

A breathy gasp met his ears when the male squeezed the pale flesh of her inner thighs, the action causing the blonde to open her legs a little wider- letting the smell of her sweet arousal strike his acute sense of smell once again.

"Touc… Touch me, Rogue..?" The blonde murmured timidly against the slayer's neck, the heat of her humid breath tickling the hair on the back of the male's skin while he moved the blonde to sit further on the counter.

"As you wish _, love_." Rogue's practically growled while Lucy's fingertips massaged across his scalp. The slayer's hands slipped up her already ascended skirt to stroke against the blonde's clothed entrance, a pleased grunt leaving his lips when she moved against his fingers, eager for more of his touch.

The slayer could feel his magic while it hummed just beneath his fingertips, begging to be set free. The dragon slayer smirked against Lucy's porcelain skin when an idea so devious slipped into his mind, he just had to give it a try.

A small controlled tendril of black shadow slipped from the male's fingertip to ghost over the woman's body as if to stroke the heated flesh of the blonde before him.

Rogue observed as the tiny wisp of magic moved from circling her inner thigh to move against her swollen clothed clit in slow circles. A sharp intake of breath met the slayer's ears before the blonde to let out a lengthy moan from the almost phantom sensation of his magic caressing her body.

Rogue moved down, pulling her body back to the edge of the counter before moving her panties to the side so his lips could meet her dripping core. The slayer moved to his knees while he licked between her engorged lips before sending more of his magic out to trail up her arched body beneath her clothes to circle around her perky breasts.

Honestly, the ebony haired male had never thought his magic would be able to bring the blonde this type of physical pleasure. The thought caused a smirk to tilt his lips while his sweet future mate let his name slip from her mouth like a prayer. Rogue swelled with pride while her intoxicating scent enveloped him in his own cocoon of want.

Her thighs quivered around his head as both he and his shadows worked in unison to bring the blonde to the brink of unimaginable bliss. Her back arched further off the counter while her hands buried deep within his ebony locks, a silent gesture to keep him between her legs while she came undone against both his magic and lips.

Her juices flowed onto his tongue, causing the dragon slayer to groan from the sweet and heady taste that was undeniably his Lucy.

The blonde squirmed when he latched onto her swollen and sensitive bud to languidly suck ever so gently as he let her ride out her orgasm on his face.

The ebony haired male couldn't help but wonder when he had become such a ravenous fiend when it came to sex. The thought of pleasuring a woman had never crossed his mind until the blonde came into his life. Rogue couldn't help but think that it must have something to do with the mating courtship between the two wizards that was still left unfinished.

Maybe something about the mark being incomplete made him eager to win the affections of his mate, though if going by what Sting had told him yesterday, he doubted it.

The blonde woman just brought out the beast within him. He was just positively enamored by her.

Rogue moved to stand at his full height so he could take in the beautiful sight of the pleasured blonde before him. Her usual gorgeous brown orbs were replaced by that of his own eye color while she stared up at him.

Rogue stilled while he felt for their shared bond. There was no ill feelings, no type of anxiety or animosity that would cause the sudden change to her appearance. From what the ebony haired male could tell, the blonde was in pure bliss.

So, why had her eye's changed colors?

"L.. Lucy?" The celestial wizard's eyes widened as she let a smirk cross her blushing face when her own unique shadow magic slipped from her body making her golden locks float around her while the ends faded into black tendrils of shadows.

_Desire._

That was what the ebony haired male could feel deep within his being as their shared union crashed into him. Her emotions were a whirlwind of lust, desire, and affection. The shadow mage was so overwhelmed with the mix of emotions that he was in complete shock when a black blur had him on his back. His body pressed against the clean floor of Lucy's bathroom.

The celestial-gone-shadow wizard stood above him while the dark magic engulfed her body, causing the black markings to reappear and spread across her creamy pale skin.

"Now it's my turn to satisfy you." Rogue felt the blonde's body come to sit on his hips, a groan releasing from his mouth while he his head fell back to meet the floor when she ground herself onto his covered erection.

Rogue had never seen his usual sweet blonde like this before. In all honesty, he never expected this petite woman to be the type to take control in the bedroom-well in this case, bathroom.

Rogue fought against his dragon instinct that told him he needed to switch their positions, that he needed to be in charge to show this female who was the dominant of the two, but the male just couldn't bring himself to move the celestial mage from her current position of grinding on top of him. She was positively breathtaking as shadow magic licked at her skin while her deep ruby eyes gaze down at him.

The blonde she let her body bounce and grind against the slayer beneath her. The unique shadow magic enveloping the two in their own little cocoon, away from reality.

Rogue's crimson eyes watched with their own feral shine as Lucy raised her arms up to caress her own body while she dry humped the male below her, causing a deep-throated groan to reverberate within the slayer's chest. If she didn't stop soon, he would surely release in his clothes, without even being touched.

Never in his life had he witnessed such surreal beauty such as the woman atop him.

The blonde, now covered with the marks of the shadow dragon slayer- the same markings he bore in his dragon force form- moved her head down to roughly bite at his exposed neck.

The bite caused something within the dragon slayer's very core instincts to roar within him, sending signals to Rogue's body to hurriedly move to sit up in an attempt to switch their positions immediately, but he was pushed back down by one of her shadow covered hands while she brought the other up to wag a finger at him in reprimand.

The shadow dragon slayer reluctantly relented with a displeased growl, his instincts still screaming to take back dominance from the petite woman straddling his waist. As if understanding the slayer's dilemma, his shadow covered blonde reached down to grip at his throbbing and swollen cock through his clothes.

The worked up slayer released a low hiss while throwing his head back from the contact, his now elongated canines bared for her to see.

"Let me take care of this for you,  _love_." His aching manhood twitched at her demanding tone while the male could only watch through half hooded eyes as she slipped down the length of his body until her head was flush with his covered cock.

"Lu.. Lucy, you don't have to.." As if realizing what she had in mind, the slayer tired to move the shadow covered blonde up, but was forced back down once again while her own challenging growl met his acute hearing.

Despite his earlier protest, he submitted to the woman now making quick work of the sash that adorned his waist before slipping down his lose pants, the rapid action allowing his cock to spring forth from the restraints that had been containing it.

The blonde eyed his manhood while wrapping her hand around its girth giving it a good pump, no doubt taking delight in the way the man below her clenched his teeth while the feeling of absolute yearning touched her heart through their bond.

Lucy let her tongue slip out from between her cherry pink lips before licking the bulbous head of the shadow mage, a long breathy groan vibrated throughout the small bathroom when the blonde courageously engulfed as much of him as she could into her wet warm cavern.

Rogue was in pure bliss; after all, he had never known the touch of a woman before Lucy. She had been the first female to touch him so intimately, and right now, the ebony haired male couldn't help but feel he had made the right decision in staying untouched by women, even though some had tried to gain his attention with sexual advances in the past.

Nothing-  _no one_ \- could compare to the blonde that was currently bobbing up and down on his pulsing manhood.

Pleasure coursed through the slayer's body while the blonde worked him with her superb mouth, her tongue snaking out every so often to slide against his now slick cock before sucking him in all over again.

_Lick._

_Suck._

_Repeat._

She set a steady pace as she took him in and out of her warm mouth.

Not wanting to be the only one receiving, the male lets some of his magic that was currently humming from the pleasant sensations within his body slip out to rub against her still clothed body.

The slayer felt her mouth falter against him when the shadows reached their destination between her still dripping thighs.

A deep moan from the blonde caused the slayer to growl when the sound released from her throat caused vibrations against his manhood that was still sheathed deep within her throat.

"Lucy..  _Love_.. If you keep this up, I'm going to cum in that delectable little mouth of yours." The slayer could smell the effect his throaty moan had on the blonde above him. Her scent was growing as his shadows coaxed her own arousal to bloom along with his own.

"It's okay, I want to taste you, too." Rogue's eyes widened when her muffled whimper met his ears. He was sure the blonde would want to know so she could avoid being choked by his essence.

The slayer felt his instincts take over from her words while his hips moved to meet her mouth, causing him to reach new depths within her precious cavern and down her throat.

If the blonde minded, she didn't show any indication.

Her breathing quickened when he willed his magic to rub around her swollen clit, trying to ready her to reach their climaxes together when he felt his impending release building up within him.

The blonde rocked her hips back and forth while her lover's magic rubbed against her, her orgasm was just on the brink of rocketing through her. The blonde willed her own shadow magic within her possession to slip from her fingertips and into the shadow slayer's pants to gentle slid against his still covered family jewels.

The action caused the male to let out a roar while his seed unexpectedly erupted down the blonde's throat, the blonde herself spread her thighs apart while she felt her orgasm ripple through her own body, fluid dripped from her spasming core to slid down the length of her trembling thighs.

She greedily sucked down the heady essence of her dragon slayer. He didn't taste bad, salty if anything, but something about her cumming with him had the blonde swallowing up his seed while gently sucking the now flaccid appendage for more.

The male's hips unconsciously convulsed as he rocked back and forth in slow weak movements into the blonde's mouth as she lapped up his release.

He was drained, and shocked.

Never had he expected the blonde to release some of her own shadow magic to fondle his family jewels. The action had caused him to cum unexpectedly into Lucy's waiting mouth.

_Gods, this woman's an angel._

_His shadow clad angel._

The ebony haired male- still shocked by the force of his orgasm- groaned. Rogue knew without a doubt that he loved the blushing blonde now lying against his chest. The shadows surrounding the two had dissipated into the air while Lucy's appearance slowly returned to normal once again, causing questions to rise that the male just wasn't yet ready to ponder.

Those questions could wait until another day.

First, the two content wizards needed to peel themselves off the blonde's bathroom floor. The male moved to sit up, bringing the flushed and content woman with him before standing and setting her on the counter.

Rogue moved to stand over by the celestial mage's tub, pulling the curtains out of the way before leaning over to turn on the water. The shadow mage sighed when the streaming liquid reached the perfect warmth. Still holding up his loose pants to keep them from dropping to the floor, the ebony haired male moved to turn back to the dazed blonde.

"Let's clean ourselves up, shall we?"

* * *

Natsu walked down the familiar cobblestone of Strawberry Street, it had been awhile since he visited Lucy's place and to be honest, he was more than a little nervous. The salmon haired slayer knew that both the celestial spirit mage and Rogue had every right to turn him away after what he'd done the blonde at the guild hall. Afterall, Natsu hadn't even let the blonde walk fully into the guild before flying off the handle when she first returned.

Though the fire-breather was hopeful the two wizards would hear him out, he wouldn't blame them one bit if they turned him away without so much as him getting an apology out. Even so, he needed to hear what Lucy had to say about all of this, and he also wanted to talk to Rogue and know his intentions with his best friend- even if Gray had already beaten him to the 'big brother' talk.

Natsu sighed when he and Lisanna finally came to stand in front of the faded red building. Usually, he would just jump up onto the windowsill and pry it open, but he knew that definitely wouldn't be the right way to go about starting an apology. Well, that and Lisanna had been kind enough to tag along to act as his moral support as well.

"Well, what are ya' waitin' for Natsu?" Onyx eyes lifted up to watch the flying blue feline while the cat slowly descended from the sky to perch on the white-haired woman's shoulder. Natsu gave his little buddy a firm nod before opening the building door, letting the female takeover wizard walk up the stairs first.

Lisanna moved over when she finally reached the top of the stairs, making room for the fire wielder to knock on the door, even though the pinkette had asked her to tag along for support; this was his still battle to face- his mess to clean up.

Natsu grimaced the moment Lucy's apartment door opened, the smell of arousal hung thick in the air causing the male's nose to scrunch up from the thought of what the two wizards occupying the apartment might have just finished doing not too long ago for the scent to be this heavy.

An uneasy feeling settled within the slayers gut when he came face to face with surprised crimson eyes.

Well, he looked different.

Natsu had never seen Rogue with wet ebony hair pushed back out of his face before, and the sight of his full features shocked the fire breather. Well, that and the fact that the male was only wearing plaid flannel lounge pants low on his hips.

A low growl formed in the back of ebony haired male's throat, meant to be both a threat and question directed towards the stunned salmon-haired young man still standing in the doorway. Natsu opened his mouth to say something but was cut off before the two males could start to have some type of alpha male growl off.

"Hi, Rogue! I know this is a little sudden, but Natsu here wanted to talk to both you and Lucy before we set out on the mission." The smiling white-haired woman defused the situation by squeezing in between both males, taking special care not to touch the ebony haired slayer.

The young woman has personally witnessed a dragon slayer's wrath when their mate had been touch by another. She knew how possessive Laxus could get when another male touched her older sister and saw how Rogue reacted when Natsu had grabbed Lucy. So if what Natsu told her the other night was true about her being his mate, then the young takeover mage didn't want to take any chances by accidentally leaning into the other slayer.

After all, Natsu was there for the sole purpose of making things right between he, Lucy, and Rogue. It would be counterproductive to start a fight when they just arrived.

"Hi, Frosch!" Happy zipped past the wizards before perching on the couch beside the other little exceed. Rogue removed his glare from the salmon haired slayer to look back where the two exceeds were now talking away.

The ebony haired shadow mage sighed, then reluctantly relented before moving back to walk into the apartment while shrugging on the shirt he had been holding in his hand.

"Before you even try to get close to Lucy, you can talk to me first." The shadow mage didn't wait for the salmon haired slayer to respond before the slayer was out the front door and down the stairs. Natsu threw a questioning look at Lisanna. The white-haired woman nodded her head with an encouraging smile on the takeover mage's face before she sat down on the love seat with the two exceeds.

Natsu followed the slayer's scent into the alley beside Lucy's apartment, where the ebony haired mage was waiting, leaning against the faded red brick.

Natsu gulped, though he wasn't afraid of the Sabertooth wizard, he knew that Lucy cared for him. If she didn't, the dark-haired man wouldn't be staying in the blonde's apartment. Lucy would have definitely kicked him out by now.

"Now's your chance to say what you want to say." Rogue crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for the salmon haired male to say something, anything. But Natsu just continued to stare at the Sabertooth mage, everything he wanted to say to the dark haired male stuck in his throat.

The fire mage's emotions were all over the place, he was irritated at the smell of the blonde's apartment, he felt pain and guilt for the way he had treated Lucy and while he knew he should be apologizing the salmon haired man couldn't stop the anger from flowing from his mouth while moving to stand directly in front of the ebony haired slayer.

"I should have been there for Lucy. Not you. I should have been the one to save her. I promised to protect her future, I told her that I wouldn't let the Rogue from the future decide her fate." Natsu's onyx orbs flashed as he let the words tumble from his mouth. He never let anyone know just how much anguish he kept inside when he thought of the promise he made to the blonde of the future, right before she passed.

"and… I failed." The salmon haired slayer tilted his head down, he knew it to be true. While he was so busy caught up in trying to keep everything the same and ignorant to the fact that Lucy's life had in fact changed, he had let keeping that promise slip right from his grasp to fall into the hands of present shadow dragon slayer. The fire wizard's salmon hair fell to cover his eyes as he continued.

"That bastard- Future Rogue- was already taking away the present Lucy's future before I even knew it was happening. I should have known something was off with her the moment we came back from Crocus, but I didn't. I failed Luce. I wanted so bad for her to be the same girl I brought to Fairy Tail and I wanted everything to stay the same, but then you came into the picture. I was angry. Upset that I couldn't do anything but sit at the guild while my best friend was being saved by someone else. A job that was mine, a promise that I swore to keep. Saving Lucy was my responsibility!" Rogue didn't say a word, he knew that the salmon haired slayer wasn't yet finished.

Natsu's body shook while he clenched his fits by his sides, keeping the flames from bursting atop his flesh as he continued on.

"I promised her and I couldn't keep it! You protected her from things I would have never been able to, you saved her when no one else could see that she was in pain. Thank you, Rogue for succeeding in where I've failed." Natsu moved back so that he could bow low to the shadow mage.

Natsu knew that Rogue deserved this apology; the fire mage had wrongfully accused him of forcing Lucy into becoming his mate and was too blinded by his anger to notice that Lucy obviously cared for the sabertooth wizard. Rogue had taken care of her, helped her when Natsu couldn't and continued to do so even though Rogue really had no obligation to the blonde.

Rogue  _definitely_  deserved this apology.

Natsu stood up once again, the black-haired tiger's crimson eyes were wide, too stunned by the fire dragon slayer's heartfelt and serious confession/apology to make words so he opted for a nod of his head.

An awkward silence fell between the two men before the salmon haired slayer voiced an even more discomfited question, though Rogue had known it had been coming. It was only a matter of time until the fire mage's curiosity would spur the question to either he or Lucy.

"She's your mate?" Natsu felt his chest constrict while waiting for the ebony haired male to recover from his obvious shock to answer him. There was a long pause and silence once again fell between the two as the shadow mage sighed, reluctant to answer. The only sound being water as it sloshed around in the nearby canal while small boats passed by.

"I want her to be." Rogue said barely above a whisper, but Natsu with his enhanced hearing heard the male's voice perfectly clear, causing the confession to linger between the two slayers.

Natsu glances at the shadow mage with a perplexed expression.

_Wants her to be?_

While most people thought the salmon haired wizard to be clueless, there were things that a slayer could pick up on that a regular person couldn't. Feminine virtue was one of those perks. Natsu thought back to the moment the blonde's different scent assaulted his acute sense of smell, comparing it to that of which to when she'd departed those few months ago.

He had not been mistaken.

The blonde's new scent was now void of that asset. He was one-hundred percent positive that when the blonde left it was still very much intact.

"You.. haven't mated her?.. Then.. why?" Onyx eyes grew when the shadow mage just looked away with sorrowful eyes down the alley out to the brightly lit canal. Natsu didn't understand. He knew that he was young when Igneel had vanished but Laxus had explained –in detail- how the mating process worked and since Lucy's been… deflowered.. And Rogue's magic has been placed within her, then she should undoubtedly be his life mate.

"Despite what you said in the guild hall,  _I wasn't the one that forced myself on Lucy_." Distressed crimson eyes met wide onyx when the pieces of the puzzle fell into place the way the shadow mage worded it left the salmon haired male to believe that even though he hadn't forced himself on her, s _omeone had._

"No.. No. Gods. No." Natsu backed away from the broken look in the Sabertooth mage's eyes only to have his back meet with the other side of the alley. The pinkette felt himself slid down the wall, ignoring the pain that scraped along his back from the brick exterior until his rear was firmly placed on to the cobblestoned ground. Flames licked at his skin as both rage and guilt set deep within the male's heart

"Rogue? Natsu?" Both males jerked their heads up to look in the direction of the quiet voice at the beginning of the of the alleyway. The smell of salt assaulted both male's dragon slayer senses before they noticed the tears that threatened to spill from wide honey brown eyes. How the two didn't perceive her presence sooner, they didn't know, but it was evident that the blonde had heard enough to know that Natsu know knew her secret.

"Lucy.." Rogue started but the blonde just shook her head, effectively cutting the slayer off while holding her hands close to her chest as if she had just taken a painful blow to her heart. The ebony haired dragon slayer could feel the bitter sting of betrayal through his and the blonde's bond.

He had deceived her trust.

"Can you give me a moment alone with Natsu, please?" The blonde didn't even look at the ebony haired male as he slowly merged within the shadows to disappear, leaving the celestial maiden and fire dragon slayer alone for the first time in months.


End file.
